Piper PA28 accident near Madisonville, Tennessee, December 15, 2016
On December 15, 2016 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1964 Piper PA28, registered N7646W, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Madisonville, Tennessee (Monroe County 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 student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing with a gusting crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 15, 2016 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Madisonville, Tennessee · Monroe County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 180, built 1964 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N7646W · no longer on the register · serial 28-1621
- 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, during landing after a cross-country solo flight, as the main landing gear touched down, the airplane encountered a crosswind, and he lost control of the airplane. He further reported that the airplane exited the right side of the runway and came to rest in the tree(s). The student pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. There was no local historic weather observation facility within 25 nautical miles of the accident airport, but the student pilot reported the wind direction was variable at 5 knots gusting to 10 knots. The student pilot landed runway 5.
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 landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 31 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 16 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,884 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 1, 2016
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SRB Sparta TN at 6:50 pm
- Destination: MNV Madisonville TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05, 3,643 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 18,000 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.35 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KTYS, 25 miles away
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 7, 2017. 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 | Accident Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 2 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.