No fatalities

23 Mar 2014: CESSNA 172M — EAST TENNESSEE PILOTS CLUB — Knoxville, TN

Knoxville, TN, United States

On 23 Mar 2014, a CESSNA 172M operated by EAST TENNESSEE PILOTS CLUB was involved in an aviation accident near Knoxville, TN. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a collision with an obstacle. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 13 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During takeoff, a student pilot's airplane veered left after 225 feet, despite rudder and power inputs, then struck a pole, damaging the left wing.

Accident Summary

A student pilot reported that during the takeoff roll, the airplane began to veer to the left after approximately 225 feet of ground roll. The student pilot applied right rudder and reduced engine power in an attempt to regain directional control. Despite these corrective actions, the airplane continued off the runway and collided with a pole, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing.

Pilot Report

The pilot, who was a student pilot, stated that no mechanical anomalies were detected prior to the accident that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane had been performing as expected until the uncommanded veer occurred.

Damage

The collision with the pole caused substantial damage to the left wing of the airplane. No other damage was reported.

Additional Information

The accident occurred during a takeoff attempt. The student pilot was the sole occupant. The exact location and other details were not provided in the source. The investigation is ongoing.

Contributing factors

Causes

Student/instructed pilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome