Cessna 172P accident near Knoxville, Tennessee, October 15, 2001
On October 15, 2001 at about 12:55 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N52685, was substantially damaged in an accident near Knoxville, Tennessee (Mcghee-Tyson 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 inattentive preflight inspection, non-compliance with the prestart checklist, decision to leave the cockpit unattended with engine running, and his inadvertent deactivation of the parking brake as he exited to remove a wheel chock, resulting in non-piloted taxi from the aircraft's starting point and collision with an airport terminal structure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 15, 2001 · about 12:55 pm local time
- Place
- Knoxville, Tennessee · Mcghee-Tyson
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N52685 · registry record · serial 17274580
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, as he added power to commence taxi, he realized that he overlooked removing a chock from his right wheel, and instead of shutting down the engine, decided to set his parking brake, leaving the engine running while he removed the chock. Somehow in sliding out of his seat, he must have bumped the parking brake handle enough to disengage it, because when the chock was removed, the aircraft began movement. The ramp was slightly downhill, and he was unable to catch the aircraft until it collided with two airport terminal concrete columns. The aircraft sustained wing spar damage, and his passenger was uninjured.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 432 hours in all; 402 in this make and model; 59 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 360 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 6, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,767 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 9, 2001; 74.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,407 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TYS Knoxville TN
- Destination: JAN Jackson MS
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from TYS, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.