Aero Commander 680E accident near Knoxville, Tennessee, January 18, 1990
On January 18, 1990 at about 3:05 pm local time, a Aero Commander 680E, registered N612G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Knoxville, Tennessee (Knoxville Downtown Island airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S EXCESSIVE AIRSPEED AND DELAY IN INITIATING A GO-AROUND DURING THE LANDING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE WET RUNWAY CONDITION, THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT FOR THE LANDING, AND HIS LACK OF FLYING EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF AIRCRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 18, 1990 · about 3:05 pm local time
- Place
- Knoxville, Tennessee · Knoxville Downtown Island
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 680E · all 680Es on the register
- Registration
- N612G · registry record · serial 68035645
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER BREAKING OUT HIGH ON A LOCALIZER RWY 26 APCH, THE PLT ELECTED TO CIRCLE FOR LNDG ON RWY 8. HE RPRTD THAT THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE 1ST QTR OF THE 3497' RWY, BUT WITNESSES RPRTD IT LNDD ABOUT MIDWAY DOWN THE RWY. THE ESTD LNDG WT WAS 7000 LBS. THE WINDS WERE RPRTD FM 240 DEG AT 5 KTS. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE PLT BELIEVED THE ACFT WAS HYDROPLANING. HE WAS UNCERTAIN THAT HE COULD STOP THE ACFT ON THE REMAINING RWY & ATMTD A GO-ARND. HE RAISED FLAPS TO THE 1/4 PSN & ADVANCED THE THROTTLES. THE PLT STATED THAT THE LEFT ENG DID NOT IMMEDIATELY RESPOND & THE ACFT DRIFTED TO THE LEFT. HE THEN ATMTD TO STOP THE ACFT ON THE RWY, BUT IT ANGLED OFF THE RWY NR THE DEP END. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT IMPACTED ROUGH TRRN AT A RIVER BANK BYD THE END OF THE RWY & WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DMGD. THE PLT HAD ABOUT 43 HRS OF MULTI-ENG EXPERIENCE WITH 28 HRS FLT TIME IN THE ACDNT ACFT.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 409 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 86 in the last 90 days; 358 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,440 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 1989; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming GSO-480-B1A6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RNC Mcminnville TN at 2:50 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 8, 3,497 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 pm from TYS, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.