- Date
- July 6, 2002, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Somerville, TN
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4418FTaylorcraft F21B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 6, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20020706019809A
- Case key
- 55172
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 improper landing flare resulting in a hard landing and damage to the airplane.
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.
Analysis
The pilot stated that on final approach to land he lowered the nose of the airplane to lose the excess altitude, but the airspeed increased, so in an attempt to reach the target airspeed he pulled back on the controls as the airplane neared the landing runway and stalled the airplane about 20 feet above the runway. He said that the airplane descended impacting the ground, and came to rest about 20 feet off the runway, incurring damage. Prior to the accident there had been no mechanical failure or malfunction with the airplane or its systems.
Factual narrative
On July 6, 2000, about 1300 eastern daylight time, a Taylorcraft F21B, N4418F, registered to and operated by a private owner, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed while the pilot was attempting to land at Fayette County Airport, Somerville, Tennessee. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the commercial-rated pilot received minor injuries. The flight originated in Alliance, Ohio, the same day, about 0900.
The pilot stated that on final approach to land he adjusted the throttle control and reduced engine power, but realized that he was too high. He said he lowered the nose of the airplane to lose the excess altitude, but the airspeed increased, so in an attempt to reach the target airspeed he pulled back on the controls as the airplane neared the landing runway and stalled the airplane about 20 feet above the runway. He said that the airplane descended impacting the ground, and came to rest about 20 feet off the runway, incurring damage to both wing spars, the landing gear, and the propeller. Prior to the accident there had been no mechanical failure or malfunction with the airplane or its systems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4418F
- Reported as
- Taylorcraft F21B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- F1514
- Airframe hours
- 300
- Engine
- Textron Lycoming O-235-L2C, 118 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gerald A. Graves
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 27, 2002 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- 2D1 · Alliance, OH
- Destination
- FYE · Somerville, TN
- Airport
- FYE · Fayette County, runway 36, 3,500 × 75 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
- 55
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Invalid Medical for flight
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2001
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,690 total · 400 in this make and model · 1,630 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- MEM, 30 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 22, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 422 KB 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.