Cessna 152 accident near Tupelo, Mississippi, October 5, 2005
On October 5, 2005 at about 2:07 am local time, a Cessna 152, registered N94684, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tupelo, Mississippi (Tupelo Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate visual lookout during taxi. Contributing factors were the dark night conditions, the unmarked light pole, and the lack of taxiway centerline markings at the parking area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 2005 · about 2:07 am local time
- Place
- Tupelo, Mississippi · Tupelo Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N94684 · registry record · serial 15285763
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 54-hour private pilot landed at the airport at approximately 2100, under dark night conditions. The pilot reported that he began to look for taxiway centerline markings, but none were found. The pilot added that he then began looking for an aircraft marshaller while taxiing to the Fixed Base Operator parking area. The pilot did not see any aircraft marshaller present and elected to continue to taxi to a parking spot. While maneuvering the airplane near the parking area, the pilot initiated a left turn when he felt the right wing impact a solid object. Examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing impacted an unmarked black light pole near the parking area.
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: 54 hours in all; 45 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 19 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,553 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2005; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-N2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KRNV Cleveland MS
- Destination: KTUP Tupelo MS
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 18, 6,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 100° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from KTUP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N94684 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DFW06CA005.