Piper PA28 accident near Knoxville, Tennessee, June 8, 2025
On June 8, 2025 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 1975 Piper PA28, registered N4533X, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Knoxville, Tennessee (Knoxville Downtown Island Airp airport). 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
A collision with a deer during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 8, 2025 · about 4:00 pm local time · cases in 2025
- Place
- Knoxville, Tennessee · Knoxville Downtown Island Airp · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 181, built 1975 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N4533X · registry record · serial 28-7690031
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot had performed four uneventful landings, and during approach for the fifth landing, the flight instructor reported he scanned the runway environment and did not see anything that would warrant discontinuing the landing. The pilot continued the approach and after touchdown during the landing roll the flight instructor saw two deer run out from the tree line next to the runway. The flight instructor decided to apply the brakes, and while traveling at a speed of about 20 knots, one of the deer impacted the left wing, substantially damaging it. After the collision the airplane was taxied to the ramp and secured.
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
- Wildlife encounter (non-bird) during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 41 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 394 as pilot in command; 45 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 23, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 73 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 11 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,156 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 5, 2025; 69 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 7,156 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 3,499 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 13 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from KDKX
Weather report (METAR): METAR KDKX 081555Z AUTO 23013G21KT 10SM FEW024 FEW028 FEW080 27/22 A2981 RMK A01=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – FAA Digital Photograph. Frontal View of a Portion of the Left Wing Showing the Leading Edge Impact Damage
Photograph 2 – FAA Digital Photograph. View of the Bottom of a Portion of the Left Wing. Arrow Points to Buckling of the Lower Wing Skin Aft of the Main Spar
Photograph 3 – FAA Digital Photograph. View Showing the Approximate 48 Inches of Span Damage to the Leading EdgeThe 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 November 14, 2025. 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 - from Operator | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 - from Pilots | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 4 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | 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
- N4533X on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-28 Cherokee, Warrior, Archer and Arrow 18,623 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,842 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M 418 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/ERA25LA233.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.