Fairchild 24R-40 accident near Smyrna, Tennessee, June 8, 2012
On June 8, 2012 at about 7:35 pm local time, a Fairchild 24R-40, registered N232E, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Smyrna, Tennessee (Smyrna Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 8, 2012 · about 7:35 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Smyrna, Tennessee · Smyrna Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild 24R-40 · all 24R-40s on the register
- Registration
- N232E · registry record · serial R40-425
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 988 hours in all; 30 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 30, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,087 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 4, 2008; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,882 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Fairchild 6-440 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MQY Smyrna TN at 7:00 pm
- Destination: MQY Smyrna TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 8,048 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from KMQY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on September 6, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | NTSB Record of Conversation with the Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N232E the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N232E on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Fairchild 24 242 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Fairchild 616 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Fairchild 6-440 SERIES 292 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Smyrna Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Tennessee 1,198 since 1982 · 231 in the last ten years
- Tennessee 6,535 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N232E 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA12CA415.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.