Fairchild 24R-40 accident near Lincoln, California, June 19, 2004
On June 19, 2004 at about 5:25 pm local time, a Fairchild 24R-40, registered N232E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lincoln, California (Lincoln Regional Airport/Karl). 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 failure to maintain directional control and inadequate compensation for gusty wind conditions, which resulted in a ground loop and collision with the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 2004 · about 5:25 pm local time · cases in 2004
- Place
- Lincoln, California · Lincoln Regional Airport/Karl · 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 425
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane ground looped while on the landing roll. The pilot was attempting a three-point landing with full flaps. Upon touchdown, the airplane encountered a gust of wind. The right wing of the airplane rose, resulting in the airplane veering to the left. As the airplane continued down the runway, the right main gear separated, which resulted in the propeller blades and left main gear simultaneously breaking away. The airplane ground looped, turning 180 degrees. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,200 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 5,200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Ranger 6-440-C5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Corporate Delaware Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: LHM Lincoln CA
- Destination: LHM Lincoln CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
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: Ranger 6-440-C5 · as the NTSB recorded it
- Lincoln Rgnl/Karl Harder Field · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,094 in the last ten years
- California 28,286 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/LAX04CA244.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.