Cessna 175 accident near Wartburg, Tennessee, April 14, 2016
On April 14, 2016 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1959 Cessna 175, registered N6792E, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Wartburg, Tennessee. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Catastrophic engine failure due to a fatigue fracture of the No. 6 connecting rod cap.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 14, 2016 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Wartburg, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 A, built 1959 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N6792E · no longer on the register · serial 56292
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a cross-country flight, the student pilot noticed the engine sputter and the engine rpm drop to 1,000. He pushed the mixture to its full rich position and pumped the throttle with no response from the engine. He then attempted to restart the engine to no avail and subsequently performed a forced landing on a highway. During the landing, the airplane impacted a tree, resulting in substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 6 connecting rod cap was fractured from fatigue that originated at the oil transfer hole in the center of the rod cap.
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 defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 52 hours in all; 11.3 in this make and model; 18.2 in the last 90 days; 7.6 in the last 30 days; 8.8 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 29, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,348 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor GO-300 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RKW Rockwood TN at 7:00 pm
- Destination: BYL Williamsburg KY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from OQT, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on October 9, 2020. 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, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statements | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Statement of Party Representatitives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Metallurgical Report A�� Continental Motors Inc. | PDF, 3 pages | 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.