- Date
- February 12, 2026, 13:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Knoxville, TN · Knoxville Downtown Island Airport
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1988LBeech C23
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 2026
- 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
- 20260212007249A
- Case key
- 202502
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 during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with a ditch.
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 pilot reported that she was conducting traffic pattern work following the completion of the airplane’s annual inspection. During landing, as the nose wheel touched down, the airplane veered abruptly to the left. She attempted to maintain directional control with the rudder pedals, but the airplane continued to the left, exited the runway and impacted a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. A postaccident examination by an airframe and powerplant mechanic revealed no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1988L
- Reported as
- Beech C23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M-1842
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 3,154.6
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4K, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Portal Planes LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 10, 2026 · 0.4 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- DKX · Knoxville Downtown Island, runway 08, 3,499 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Handheld GPS, Onboard weather
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
- 58
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 17, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 375.6 total · 371.6 in this make and model · 228.1 as pilot in command · 0.4 in the last 90 days · 0.4 in the last 30 days · 0.4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- DKX
- METAR
- METAR KDKX 121735Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 09/M04 A3026
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 22, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 239 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.