Cessna 175 accident near Mountain City, Tennessee, August 27, 1999
On August 27, 1999 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 175, registered N7566M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mountain City, Tennessee (Johnson County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A blocked fuel system vent that resulted in fuel starvation and the complete loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 1999 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mountain City, Tennessee · Johnson County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N7566M · no longer on the register · serial 55866
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that after completing a normal preflight inspection of the airplane, he rolled the airplane out of the hangar for the flight. A normal engine run-up was completed, and the initial takeoff to climb was also normal. Shortly after liftoff, the pilot reported a loss of engine power. The pilot selected a corn field on the departure end of the runway for an emergency landing. After landing in the field, the airplane collided with a fence and flipped inverted. The examination of the airplane and engine assembly failed to disclose a component failure. However, during the examination of the fuel system, a wasp nest was found in the fuel system vent.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 750 hours in all; 750 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,413 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 30, 1999; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6A4 at 6:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:00 pm from TRI, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.