Cessna 172B accident near Mt Olive, North Carolina, March 22, 2014
On March 22, 2014 at about 2:45 pm local time, a 1958 Cessna 172B, registered N8988B, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Mt Olive, North Carolina (Mount Olive Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to adequately secure the airplane before hand-propping the engine for startup.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 22, 2014 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Mt Olive, North Carolina · Mount Olive Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172B, built 1958 · all 172Bs on the register
- Registration
- N8988B · no longer on the register · serial 36688
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, when he attempted to start the airplane, "the battery was low." He exited the airplane, instructed the passenger to remain in the airplane and how to turn the magnetos on and off, and he utilized the tail tie down hook and secured the tail down with a rope on the ramp. The pilot hand-propped the engine, it started, the throttle was "too far in," and the airplane accelerated forward. The "old" tie down rope broke, the airplane continued forward, and the passenger in the airplane turned the magnetos to the "OFF" position. However, the airplane impacted a hangar and then came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and right wing during the accident sequence. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane, other than the low battery, that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Ground handling event during standing (engine(s) start-up)
- Ground collision during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Parking/securing › Tie › down/mooring › Inadequate inspection
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 85 hours in all; 85 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 60 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 21, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,949 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 19, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 SER (piston); 2,749 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W40 Mt Olive NC at 2:15 pm
- Destination: W40 Mt Olive NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 3:58 pm from GSB, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on April 22, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Interview Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum of Record - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Weather Observations Gsb | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 1. Damage to Right Wing (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.