Cessna 172D accident near Shepherdsville, Kentucky, June 27, 2009
On June 27, 2009 at about 2:10 pm local time, a Cessna 172D, registered N172TJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Shepherdsville, Kentucky. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The mechanic's improper inspection of the mixture control cable.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 2009 · about 2:10 pm local time
- Place
- Shepherdsville, Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172D · all 172Ds on the register
- Registration
- N172TJ · no longer on the register · serial 17249552
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was in cruise flight between 1,700 and 2,200 feet mean sea level when the engine rpms decreased. He applied throttle with negative results. The airplane continued to descend and he performed a forced landing to a soybean field. Review of the airplane logbooks revealed that the airplane had flown 2.29 hours since the last annual inspection. Postaccident examination of the airframe and flight controls revealed no anomalies; however, the mixture control cable was found to be separated from the mixture control arm. The mixture cable wire tip was not bent 90 degrees to prevent it from being withdrawn if the attaching nut should become loose, as required by the maintenance manual. The cable did not exhibit any signs of damage or stretching, and it was not broken at the attach point to the attaching bolt in the mixture control arm of the carburetor. The mechanic who performed the last annual inspection stated that he did not remember if he did or did not bend the cable 90 degrees.
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
What happened, in order
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Mixture control › Inadequate inspection
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine
- Flight time: 318 hours in all; 290 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 305 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 23, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,636 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 3, 2008; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 07KY Louiosville KY at 1:45 pm
- Destination: BRY Bardstown KY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from LOU, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.