Cessna 172F accident near Tuskegee, Alabama, August 2, 1998
On August 2, 1998 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172F, registered N7884U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tuskegee, Alabama. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to attain adequate airspeed, and his failure to abort the takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 1998 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Tuskegee, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172F · all 172Fs on the register
- Registration
- N7884U · no longer on the register · serial 17251884
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane had taken off to the north, on a runway that slopes upward, with power lines as an obstruction at the departure end of the runway. The turf runway was 1800 feet long. As the airplane started to climb, the landing gear struck the power lines, the airplane fell to the ground, caught on fire and burned. The pilot stated that he usually takes off to the south, but a 'tailwind' caused him to takeoff to the north. He further stated he started his takeoff run and the airplane '...didn't gain speed like it should have. He said he 'should have stopped [the] takeoff, [but] waited too late. Rotated with too low a airspeed, could not clear power lines, cut wire and went into trees.' In addition, the pilot told the FAA that he did not have any engine problems.
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: 755 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,158 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 29, 1998; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 1,800 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 050° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 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.