- Date
- June 8, 2012, 14:35 local (19:35 UTC)
- Place
- Smyrna, TN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N232EFairchild 24R-40
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 26, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120608010829A
- Case key
- 84089
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 inadequate landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
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
According to the pilot, he flew about 1 hour before returning to the departure airport and entering the traffic pattern. During final approach, he stated that the black rubber transfer on the runway surface confused him, which resulted in his misjudgment of the height of the airplane over the runway. The pilot realized that he was too high and too slow when he flared the airplane, so he applied full throttle to go around. The airplane impacted the runway, bounced, and skidded off the right side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he flew approximately one hour before returning to the departure airport and entering the traffic pattern. During final approach he stated that the black rubber transfer on the runway surface confused him resulting in the misjudgment of the height of the airplane over the runway. The pilot realized that he was too high above the ground and too slow and applied full throttle to go around; however, the airplane impacted the runway, bounced, then skidded off to the right side of the runway resulting in substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N232E
- Reported as
- Fairchild 24R-40
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- R40-425
- Airframe hours
- 2,087
- Engine
- Fairchild 6-440 SERIES, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Harold G. Pedigo
- Registered owner
- Harold G. Pedigo
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 4, 2008 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- MQY · Smyrna, TN
- Destination
- MQY · Smyrna, TN
- Airport
- MQY · Smyrna Airport, runway 32, 8,048 × 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
- 76
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 30, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 988 total · 30 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KMQY
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 6, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 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 N232E · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.