Cessna 172P accident near Jackson, Tennessee, March 1, 1997
On March 1, 1997 at about 1:01 am local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N98991, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jackson, Tennessee (Mckellar-Sipes Regional airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate visual lookout while taxing. The reduced visibility was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 1, 1997 · about 1:01 am local time
- Place
- Jackson, Tennessee · Mckellar-Sipes Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N98991 · no longer on the register · serial 17276393
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After touchdown the pilot transitioned to the taxiway to taxi to the ramp. He did not review the airport diagram due to being familiar with the airport. The pilot stated that while taxing he encountered a heavy rain shower and ground fog. He continued to the ramp following the yellow line; however, his taxispeed was too fast for the weather conditions that existed. He taxied onto the ramp, and was looking outside the airplane for the fixed base operator when his passenger said something. He realized the airplane had traveled off the ramp onto the grass. The airplane collided with a pole before he could apply the brakes.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 768 hours in all; 550 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 633 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JWN Nashville TN at 11:26 pm
- Destination: MKL TN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,500 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.