Cessna 172 accident near Knoxville, Tennessee, December 12, 2022
On December 12, 2022 at about 1:50 pm local time, a 2001 Cessna 172, registered N783SF, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Knoxville, Tennessee (Knoxville Downtown Island 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 pilot’s loss of directional control during engine start.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 12, 2022 · about 1:50 pm local time
- Place
- Knoxville, Tennessee · Knoxville Downtown Island · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 SP, built 2001 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N783SF · registry record · serial 172S8980
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that upon engine startup for a local solo flight the airplane “almost immediately pivoted to the left.” The airplane impacted a two support beams of the shade hangar it was parked under, substantially damaging the left wing. The pilot reported that the parking brake was set when the engine was started and that his feet were on the brakes. A witness reported that the airplane “started up with what sounded like an excessively high RPM.” Postaccident inspection of the throttle, toe brake, and parking brake system by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector found no anomalies 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
- Loss of control on ground during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 80 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 15 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.16 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from DKX
Weather report (METAR): METAR KDKX 121855Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM OVC024 10/05 A3016 RMK A01
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on February 14, 2023. 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, 13 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot's Statement from Flight School | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Witness Statement to FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Memorandum for Record A�� FAA Examination | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photographs | PDF, 5 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.