- Date
- March 30, 1998, 21:00 local (Mar 31, 1998, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kingsport, TN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9233HCessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 21, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980331004829A
- Case key
- 38481
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The dual student's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall mush. Contributing to the accident were the flight instructor's inadequate supervision and the night conditions.
Analysis
The flight was a dual, night VFR cross country flight in preparation for the student's solo cross country. According to the CFI, when they rolled wings level on final approach, the student did not have the runway in sight and was being directed by the CFI. In the process of acquiring a visual on the runway, the flight had gotten low and slow, and the student was making a correction when the wheels collided with an approach light pole. The airplane came to rest inverted, about 300 feet from the runway threshold.
Factual narrative
On March 30, 1998, about 2100 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172M, N9233H, registered to Moerair, Inc., operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, collided with runway approach lights for runway 23 at Tri-Cities Regional Airport, Bristol, Tennessee. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a VFR flight plan was filed. The airplane received substantial damage, and the flight instructor, (CFI) and student pilot sustained minor injuries. The flight originated from Greeneville-Green County Municipal Airport, Tennessee, about 20 minutes before the accident.
The flight was a dual, night VFR cross country flight in preparation for the student's solo cross country. According to the CFI, when they rolled wings level on final approach, the student did not have the runway in sight and was being directed by the CFI. In the process of acquiring a visual on the runway, the flight had gotten low and slow, and the student was making a correction when the wheels collided with an approach light pole. The airplane came to rest inverted, about 300 feet from the runway threshhold.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9233H
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17266031
- Airframe hours
- 5,968
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Moerair, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 23, 1998 · 80 hours before
- Departed
- GCY · Greeneville, TN
- Destination
- TRI · Bristol, TN
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- TRI · Tri-Cities, runway 23, 7,999 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 51
- Certificates
- Private, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 738 total · 395 in this make and model · 629 as pilot in command · 71 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TRI
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.