Cessna 185 accident near Elizabethton, Tennessee, November 3, 1994
On November 3, 1994 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 185, registered N6688H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Elizabethton, Tennessee (Elizabethton Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FLEXING OF THE RUDDER PEDAL CONTROL LOCKING ASSEMBLY WHICH RESULTED IN THE COLLAPSE OF THE CO-PILOT'S LEFT PEDAL DURING HEAVY BRAKING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 3, 1994 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Elizabethton, Tennessee · Elizabethton Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N6688H · registry record · serial 185-03335
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A THREE POINT LANDING DEMONSTRATION, THE LEFT PEDAL ON THE CO-PILOT'S SIDE OF THE COCKPIT COLLAPSED, AND THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. EXAMINATION OF THE RUDDER PEDAL ASSEMBLY FAILED TO DISCLOSE A COMPONENT FAILURE. ACCORDING TO THE MAINTENANCE INSPECTOR, THE LOCKING ASSEMBLY WAS RE-ENGAGED AND THE RUDDER ASSEMBLY OPERATED NORMALLY. THE INSPECTOR CONCLUDED THAT, HEAVY BRAKING CAUSED THE LOCKING ASSEMBLY TO FLEX ENOUGH TO RELEASE. THE MAINTENANCE INSPECTOR ALSO STATED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A FEW MALFUNCTIONS OF THE LOCKING ASSEMBLY. THOSE INCIDENTS REPORTED BY MISSIONARY PILOTS WERE CORRECTED BY DISABLING THE STOW ASSEMBLY, AND LOCKING THE PEDALS IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,692 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 159 in the last 90 days; 43 in the last 30 days; 14,000 as pilot in command; 9,217 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,694 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 7, 1994; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0A9 at 7:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 200° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from TRI, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.