- Date
- May 22, 2025, 11:40 local (16:40 UTC)
- Place
- Murfreesboro, TN · Paved runway excursion off into the grass.
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N6317DCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 2025
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20250522006319A
- Case key
- 200212
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane while attempting to take off in a gusty crosswind, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student pilot stated that he was attempting to take off in a left quartering crosswind with significant gusts. During the takeoff roll, the wind struck the airplane hard, and the pilot attempted to correct with rudder input, but overcompensated. The airplane then turned left into the wind and departed the paved runway surface before it impacted runway lights and terrain. The airplane’s fuselage and left wing strut were substantially damaged during the runway excursion. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6317D
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17272715
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 17,220
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Jkg LLC
- Registered owner
- Jkg LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 25, 2025
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- MBT · Murfreesboro Muni, runway 36, 4,750 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, ADS-B
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 50 total · 50 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 13 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- MQY, 10 nm away
- METAR
- KMQY 221656Z 29013G18KT 10SM FEW100 24/09 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP182 T02390094
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 14, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 12.8 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N6317D · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.