Cessna 172S accident near Alcoa, Tennessee, November 5, 2015
On November 5, 2015, a 1999 Cessna 172S, registered N905CP, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Alcoa, Tennessee (Mc Ghee Tyson airport). It was a personal 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 identify the taxiway, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with terrain while turning off the runway at night.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 5, 2015
- Place
- Alcoa, Tennessee · Mc Ghee Tyson · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S, built 1999 · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N905CP · registry record · serial 172S8329
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a night flight, the pilot reported that after he landed on the runway, he slowed the airplane to taxi speed, and continued to the taxiway turnoff. The pilot misidentified the taxiway turn and turned off the runway into a grass area between the runway and taxiway. The pilot reported that the grass area had a downslope that led to level ground and he felt a bump from the tail as the airplane transitioned from the downslope to level ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine 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
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Airport occurrence during taxi (from runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,061 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 7,666 as pilot in command; 1,227 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 4, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,669 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 11, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Civil Air Patrol INC
The flight
- Departed from: TYS Alcoa TN at 11:55 pm
- Destination: TYS Alcoa TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23L, 8,997 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,600 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 5°F (-15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on February 8, 2016. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | 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.
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.