Cessna 172 accident near Covington, Tennessee, November 22, 2015
On November 22, 2015 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1966 Cessna 172, registered N5786R, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Covington, Tennessee (Covington Muni airport). It was a personal 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
The pilot's loss of directional control during the landing roll in crosswind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion, ground loop, and impact with the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 22, 2015 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Covington, Tennessee · Covington Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 G, built 1966 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N5786R · registry record · serial 17253455
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported the airplane "landed smoothly on the centerline", but during the landing roll, the wind shifted to a 90 degree right crosswind. The pilot applied crosswind correction and brakes, but the airplane veered to the right, exited the runway, ground looped, and the right wing impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and aileron, and left horizontal stabilizer and elevator. 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
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Sudden wind shift › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 276 hours in all; 130 in this make and model; 6.5 in the last 90 days; 4.5 in the last 30 days; 236 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 1, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,386 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors O-300D (piston); 4,500 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M19 Newport AR at 5:50 pm
- Destination: M04 Covington TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 5,004 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from KNQA, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on February 29, 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 | Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 3 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.