Cessna 172N accident near Lebanon, Tennessee, January 15, 2011
On January 15, 2011 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N1946F, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Lebanon, Tennessee (Lebanon Municipal 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 failure to maintain directional control during an aborted takeoff, resulting in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 15, 2011 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lebanon, Tennessee · Lebanon Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N1946F · no longer on the register · serial 17273036
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot stated that the airplane’s left main tire felt flat during his third solo landing. After landing he taxied back to the fixed base operator (FBO) to have the tire checked. The FBO representative found no discrepancies and the pilot taxied back to the runway to continue the flight. During takeoff, as the airplane reached about 30 knots, the airplane began to bobble on the left side. In response the pilot retarded the engine power to idle and applied the brakes. The airplane continued toward the left off the runway, and came to a stop in a ditch, incurring substantial damage to the firewall. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who responded to the accident stated that the left wheel assembly did not reveal discrepancies that would have prevented normal operation of the assembly.
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 (rejected takeoff) defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 14 hours in all; 13 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,616 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 5, 2011; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Redi Air
The flight
- Departed from: M54 Lebanon TN
- Destination: M54 Lebanon TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,100 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from BNA, 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.