Mcghee-Tyson Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Knoxville, Tennessee 37901
Monday, October 15, 2001 8:55 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

According to the pilot, as he added power to commence taxi, he realized that he overlooked removing a chock from his right wheel, and instead of shutting down the engine, decided to set his parking brake, leaving the engine running while he removed the chock. Somehow in sliding out of his seat, he must have bumped the parking brake handle enough to disengage it, because when the chock was removed, the aircraft began movement. The ramp was slightly downhill, and he was unable to catch the aircraft until it collided with two airport terminal concrete columns. The aircraft sustained wing spar damage, and his passenger was uninjured.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's inattentive preflight inspection, non-compliance with the prestart checklist, decision to leave the cockpit unattended with engine running, and his inadvertent deactivation of the parking brake as he exited to remove a wheel chock, resulting in non-piloted taxi from the aircraft's starting point and collision with an airport terminal structure.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/15/2001
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 855
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City Knoxville
Event State TENNESSEE
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 37901
Event Date Year 2001
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? Yes
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport McGhee-Tyson
Event Location Nearest Airport ID TYS
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 981
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 953 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID TYS
Elevation of weather observation facility 981
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 14
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) --
Variable Wind Indicator Variable
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.22
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 11355
NTSB Notification Source FAA Comm Ctr-SE
NTSB Notification Date Oct 15 2001 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1200
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Feb 7 2002 7:47AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Nashville

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N52685
NTSB Number MIA02LA009
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cessna
Aircraft Model 172P
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 17274580
Certified Max Gross Weight 2407
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection May 9 2001 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 74.7
Airframe Hours 7767
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Marashi Aviation, LLC
Aircraft Owner Street Address 5326 Hickory Village Dr.
Aircraft Owner City Kingwood
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 77345
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name --
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City --
Operator State --
Operator Country --
Operator Zip code --
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code TYS
Departure City Knoxville
Departure State TN
Departure Country USA
Departure Time --
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code JAN
Destination City Jackson
Destination State MS
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Standing - engine(s) operating
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record Jan 9 2002 12:33PM
User who most recently changed record KENJ
Since inspection or accident Time of Accident
Event Location Runway Number and Location --
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --