Cessna 182R accident near Sevierville, Tennessee, June 12, 1999
On June 12, 1999 at about 2:25 pm local time, a Cessna 182R, registered N6126E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sevierville, Tennessee (Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of propeller governor control due to oil contamination.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 1999 · about 2:25 pm local time
- Place
- Sevierville, Tennessee · Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182R · all 182Rs on the register
- Registration
- N6126E · no longer on the register · serial 68347
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot stated the power response on his second takeoff felt like, 'an automobile automatic transmission slipping'. The propeller seemed to take a 'bite' followed by 'losing bite', and when the pilot realized that the power available would not sustain level flight, he attempted a forced landing on a field. Postcrash examination by FAA inspectors revealed no abnormalities of the airframe or engine. The propeller governor was shipped to the manufacturer. Disassembly inspection of the governor revealed enough sludge to impede free movement of the flyweight assembly. Once cleaned and reassembled, the governor operated satisfactorily and met factory specifications.
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: student
- Flight time: 174 hours in all; 65 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,173 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 1999; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GKT TN at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 5,506 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:45 pm from TYS, 25 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.
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.