Taylorcraft F21B accident near Somerville, Tennessee, July 6, 2002
On July 6, 2002 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Taylorcraft F21B, registered N4418F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Somerville, Tennessee (Fayette County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper landing flare resulting in a hard landing and damage to the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 2002 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Somerville, Tennessee · Fayette County · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft F21B · all F21Bs on the register
- Registration
- N4418F · registry record · serial F1514
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,690 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,630 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 27, 2002; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Textron Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2D1 Alliance OH at 1:00 pm
- Destination: FYE Somerville TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from MEM, 30 miles away
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA02LA129.