Piper PA-28-181 accident near Corryton, Tennessee, May 19, 2015
On May 19, 2015 at about 8:50 pm local time, a 1997 Piper PA-28-181, registered N597JG, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Corryton, Tennessee. It was an instructional 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 failure of the No. 4 engine cylinder due to fatigue, resulting in a catastrophic failure of the engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 19, 2015 · about 8:50 pm local time
- Place
- Corryton, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181, built 1997 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N597JG · registry record · serial 2843087
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a training flight, the student and flight instructor heard a "loud bang" from the engine area, accompanied by engine roughness and reduced power. The flight instructor performed a forced landing to a field, resulting in substantial damage to the engine firewall. An examination of the engine revealed the No. 4 cylinder head was fractured outboard of the barrel thread. Further examination revealed that the cylinder fractured due to fatigue that initiated at the interior of the head near the intake valve. The serial number for the cylinder was outside the range of those affected by an airworthiness directive requiring inspection and/or replacement of certain cylinders.
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 engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Failure
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,083 hours in all; 97 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 1,998 as pilot in command; 306 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 25, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 54 hours in all; 53 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,519.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2015; 515 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 3,520 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DKX Knoxville TN at 6:30 pm
- Destination: DKX Knoxville TN
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from TYS, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.