Gulfstream American CORP AA-5A accident near Knoxville, Tennessee, May 4, 2023
On May 4, 2023 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1979 Gulfstream American CORP AA-5A, registered N26941, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff 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 failure to maintain directional control during takeoff in gusting wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 4, 2023 · about 6:00 pm local time · cases in 2023
- Place
- Knoxville, Tennessee · Knoxville Downtown Island · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Gulfstream American CORP AA-5A, built 1979 · all AA-5As on the register
- Registration
- N26941 · registry record · serial AA5A0839
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was departing on her third solo flight. During the takeoff the airplane began drifting to the left and the pilot attempted to correct with right rudder application. The pilot said that it then felt as if the airplane encountered a gust of wind that pushed it to the left off the runway and into the grass. The airplane’s left wing struck a runway approach light and was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane 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 takeoff defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff
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
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 49.2 hours in all; 49.2 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 11.4 in the last 30 days; 2.2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,577.0 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 21, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2G (piston); 613 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 26, 3,499 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from DKX
Weather report (METAR): KDKX 041755Z AUTO 24005G10KT 10SM CLR 20/05 A3003 RMK A01
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 4 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – View of Accident Site, Airplane to Left, Runway to Right
Photo 2 – View of Airplane
Photo 3 – View of Damage to Airplane’s Left Wing
Photo 4 – View of Damage to Airplane’s Left Horizontal StabilizerThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 29, 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, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� Airplane Owner/operator | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 5 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N26941 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Gulfstream American Corp AA-5 315 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2G 33 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Knoxville Downtown Island Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Tennessee 1,198 since 1982 · 231 in the last ten years
- Tennessee 6,535 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA23LA227.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.