Cessna 172 accident near Jackson, Tennessee, February 3, 2010
On February 3, 2010 at about 7:48 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N97075, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Jackson, Tennessee (Mckellar-Sipes Regional airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's loss of directional control during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a collision with a snow bank.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 3, 2010 · about 7:48 pm local time
- Place
- Jackson, Tennessee · Mckellar-Sipes Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 P · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N97075 · registry record · serial 1726152
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot landed, taxied back to the runway, and departed again. She stayed in the traffic pattern and then landed again with a slight crosswind at about 3 knots. During the subsequent takeoff with full power, the airplane veered to the left. The student pilot applied right rudder, but the airplane continued to the left and veered into a snow bank. A postaccident examination of the airplane's nose landing gear revealed that the right bearing rod-end had broken off the arm assembly of the nose gear steering rod. Further examination of both components through magnified optics revealed deformation and fracture surface features consistent with bending overstress separations in both components. No indications of preexisting conditions, such as fatigue or corrosion, were found.
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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Ground collision during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 35 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 35 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,958 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 11, 2009; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MKL Jackson TN at 7:15 pm
- Destination: MKL Jackson TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02, 6,006 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from MKL
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.
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 ERA10LA131.