Piper PA28 accident near Mcminnville, Tennessee, September 8, 2020
On September 8, 2020 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 2000 Piper PA28, registered N4166Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during emergency descent near Mcminnville, Tennessee (Warren County Memorial airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to a fatigue failure in a cylinder, and the pilot’s subsequent failure to maintain airspeed and her exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle-of-attack while maneuvering at low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 2020 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mcminnville, Tennessee · Warren County Memorial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 181, built 2000 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N4166Z · no longer on the register · serial 2843327
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During initial climb, below 500 ft above ground level, the engine experienced a total loss of power due to a separated cylinder head. The pilot initiated a right turn (based on the orientation of the wreckage) and the airplane stalled and spun flat into a field. Metallurgical examination of the cylinder revealed fatigue cracking, which was observed around approximately 180° of the cylinder circumference. The fatigue cracking emanated from the vertical stiffener on the front of the cylinder between the third and fourth fins. The fatigue cracking appeared to initiate at the start of the fillet between the vertical stiffener and the circumferential outer wall of the cylinder. The remainder of the fracture surface was consistent with overstress. The cylinder was installed new when the engine was overhauled about 19 months prior to the accident. The engine had accrued about 671 hours since overhaul.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during initial climb
- Loss of control in flight during emergency descent defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 299 hours in all; 170 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 23, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,274.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 26, 2019; 358 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,552 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O360-A4M (piston); 2,274 hours total
- Operator: Lebanon Flying Club
The flight
- Departed from: RNC Mcminnville TN at 4:28 pm
- Destination: RNC Mcminnville TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from RNC, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
12 documents, released by the NTSB on October 15, 2021. 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 | FAA Interview Summaries | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Excerpts from Pilot Logbook | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Rnc Aviation Director Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Excerpts from Maintenance Recordsdd | PDF, 18 pages | View Download |
| 5 | radar Plot of Arrival to Rnc | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Rnc Security Video of Landing, Taxi, and Takeoff (6 Minutes, 59 Seconds Long, Wmv Format, 93MB) | WMV file | Download |
| 7 | Map of Accident Site | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photo Array | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 11 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 12 | Wreckage Release and Evidence Control Form | PDF, 2 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.