# NTSB investigations, TN: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB ERA25FA037](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25FA037.md): Cessna 150F · Wilder, TN · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Oct 31, 2024 · N8110S · Destroyed
  > The student pilot’s decision to continue the visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions at night, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
- [NTSB ERA24LA346](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24LA346.md): Piper J3 · Mooresburg, TN · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Aug 16, 2024 · N21811 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s intentional flight into a building as an act of suicide.
- [NTSB ERA23LA115](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23LA115.md): Eiriavion PIK-20D · Benton, TN · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jan 20, 2023 · N1NZ · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s decision to turn toward a mountain ridge in a thermal, which resulted in a collision with terrain.
- [NTSB ERA21LA124](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA124.md): Cessna 441 · Belvidere, TN · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Feb 7, 2021 · N44776 · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s failure to follow the published instrument approach procedure by prematurely descending the airplane below the final approach fix altitude to fly under the low ceiling conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
- [NTSB ERA20LA188](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20LA188.md): Vaughn Challenger · Clarksville, TN · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · May 16, 2020 · N97KV · Substantial damage
  > The loss of engine power due to carburetor ice.
- [NTSB WPR18FA053](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR18FA053.md): Browning Gregory S Zodiac 601XL · Thompson's Station, TN · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Dec 21, 2017 · N929GB · Substantial damage
  > The sport pilot's decision to depart in and continue flight in instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
- [NTSB ERA17FA073](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA17FA073.md): Cessna 182 · Gatlinburg, TN · Accident · 3 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Dec 26, 2016 · N1839X · Destroyed
  > The non-instrument-rated pilot's intentional visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's established anti-authority attitude.
- [NTSB ERA16LA003](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16LA003.md): Beech S35 · Knoxville, TN · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 2 · Limited · Final report · Oct 7, 2015 · N449CT · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's inadequate preflight weather planning and his improper decision to attempt a visual flight rules flight in night instrument metrological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and subsequent collision with terrain.
- [NTSB ERA15FA204](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15FA204.md): Cessna 182 · Mulberry, TN · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · May 3, 2015 · N6579M · Destroyed
  > The pilot's failure to recover from a controlled descent for reasons that could not be determined during the postaccident investigation.
- [NTSB ERA14LA409](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14LA409.md): Cessna A188B · Middleton, TN · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 27, 2014 · N5850G · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to see and avoid power lines during a low-level aerial application operation.
- [NTSB ERA14FA163](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14FA163.md): Dehavilland DHC-1 · Vonore, TN · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Mar 23, 2014 · N540FM · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s continued visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
- [NTSB ERA14LA158](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14LA158.md): Cessna 172K · Elizabethton, TN · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Mar 18, 2014 · N46603 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s delayed decision to maneuver around rising terrain, which resulted in a collision with trees and terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to calculate the performance requirements needed to climb over mountainous terrain…
- [NTSB ERA14FA027](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14FA027.md): Cessna 172R · Nashville, TN · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Oct 29, 2013 · C-GRJH · Destroyed
  > The noninstrument-rated pilot’s continued visual flight into night instrument flight rules conditions, which resulted in a collision with the runway during an attempted approach to land. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s mental state, his…
- [NTSB ERA13LA042](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13LA042.md): Piper PA-32R-300 · Sevierville, TN · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Oct 28, 2012 · N4478F · Substantial damage
  > The air traffic controller’s failure to comply with the required vectoring and safety alert procedures, which resulted in the airplane’s flight into rising terrain. Contributing to the accident was the Federal Aviation Administration’s continued practice of…
- [NTSB ERA12CA125](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12CA125.md): Cessna 150H · Knoxville, TN · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · Dec 26, 2011 · N22565 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's inadequate fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
- [NTSB ERA12CA119](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12CA119.md): Hughes 369D · Fall Branch, TN · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Dec 21, 2011 · N500TN · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's improper decision to continue a visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a wire strike.
- [NTSB ERA12CA027](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12CA027.md): Ica Brasov IS-29D2 · Benton, TN · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Oct 14, 2011 · N1339X · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's improper in-flight planning, which resulted in a low-altitude traffic pattern entry and subsequent collision with telephone wires.
- [NTSB ERA11IA436](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11IA436.md): Bell 206 · Relience, TN · Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report · Aug 1, 2011 · N484AE · Minor damage
  > Inadvertent contact with wires due to the lack of visual cues regarding their presence and the low angle of the sun, which was directly in the takeoff path.
- [NTSB ERA10CA006](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10CA006.md): Piper PA-28-140 · Gainesboro, TN · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · Oct 5, 2009 · N95472 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees. Contributing to the accident were the rising terrain and night light conditions.
- [NTSB ERA09LA123](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09LA123.md): Piper PA-28-151 · Powder Springs, TN · Accident · 2 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Jan 3, 2009 · N43631 · Substantial damage
  > The non-instrument rated pilot's decision to continue under visual flight rules into an area of instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain.

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."eventStateOrRegion" = 'TN' AND c."eventCountry" = 'USA'
  AND c."mKey" IN (SELECT s.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE s."tier2Number" = '120' AND s.case_mkey IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' WHERE "isDefiningEvent"))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120/sequence?state=TN

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