Amateur-built Monnett Moni accident near Sevierville, Tennessee, April 6, 2002
On April 6, 2002 at about 2:50 pm local time, a amateur-built Monnett Moni, registered N10GZ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sevierville, Tennessee (Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed while turning to reverse direction resulting in an inadvertent stall, uncontrolled descent, and in-flight collision with trees. A factor in the accident was the failure of the pilot to tighten the spark plugs resulting in the partial loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 2002 · about 2:50 pm local time
- Place
- Sevierville, Tennessee · Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Monnett Moni
- Registration
- N10GZ · no longer on the register · serial 00023
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Before departure the pilot was observed to change the two spark plugs, and the airplane was fueled. During the takeoff, a witness heard the engine missing. Witnesses reported that when the airplane passed the departure end of the runway, the airplane was observed to bank to the left, pitch down, and impacted the ground in a wooded area. A postcrash fire was extinguished by a fire department. The crash site was located .10 nautical mile and 242 degrees from the departure end of the runway used for takeoff. Examination of the flight controls revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. Examination of the engine by the FAA-IIC revealed that, "...both plugs were barely finger tight. I did not need a wrench to remove one of the plugs." No other discrepancies related to the engine were noted. The pilot's flight time in the airplane was not determined. Additionally, there were no maintenance records for the airplane.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 408 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Kfm (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: KGKT Sevierville TN at 2:49 pm
- Destination: Unknown
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 5,506 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
- Observation at 2:40 pm from KGKT, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N10GZ the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.