Piper PA-28-180 accident near Knoxville, Tennessee, October 12, 1997
On October 12, 1997, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N15331, was destroyed in an accident near Knoxville, Tennessee (Knoxville Downtown Island airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to maintain control of the airplane, while climbing after takeoff, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and impact with the water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 12, 1997
- Place
- Knoxville, Tennessee · Knoxville Downtown Island · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N15331 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7305059
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane and its occupants had arrived earlier in the day to attend a football game. According to airport personnel, the three occupants arrived back at the airport, after the game, about 2030, and after the control tower had closed. The control tower was staffed 2 hours before and after the football game. The pilot had line service personnel put 24 gallons of fuel in the airplane, and according to the line service manager, this 'filled the tanks.' The airplane was seen by several witnesses climbing in a westerly direction, about 200 feet above the ground (AGL), in a nose-high attitude with the lights on. There were indications that the airplane may have stalled. Witnesses said the wings were rocking, then the airplane turned left, went into a nose-low attitude, and impacted the water. Several witnesses said the airplane's engine was 'revving' and sounded 'loud,' before impacting the water. One witness said the engine sounded like it was at 'full power.' Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact discrepancies. A postmortem examination of the pilot indicated that he died as a result of 'multiple blunt force injuries,' but that he had severe coronary artery disease, including 'occlusion of left main coronary artery,' '70% stenosis' of his left anterior descending artery, and '90% stenosis' of his left circumflex artery.
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: 461 hours in all; 199 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,034 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 30, 1998; 209 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DKX
- Destination: 3M7 Lafayette TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 3,497 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:09 am from DKX, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.