Piper PA-32R-300 accident near Smithville, Tennessee, January 19, 1996
On January 19, 1996 at about 4:50 am local time, a Piper PA-32R-300, registered N4457X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Smithville, Tennessee (Smithville Municipal airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision, which resulted in a heavy load of airframe ice, an inability to maintain altitude, and a subsequent emergency landing. Factors relating to the accident were: the adverse weather (icing) condition, which was slightly worse than forecast; and loss of airspeed indication due to ice.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 19, 1996 · about 4:50 am local time
- Place
- Smithville, Tennessee · Smithville Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-300 · all PA-32R-300s on the register
- Registration
- N4457X · no longer on the register · serial 32R-7680019
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Before flying west from Knoxville (TYS) to Nashville (BNA), a BNA Flight Service Station specialist advised the pilot of a cold front west of BNA & of icing reported at 2,000' & 4,000' (west of front). The pilot was briefed on info from Airmet Zulu 3, which forecasted only light occasional moderate rime/mixed icing along the route between 8,000' & 20,000'. The pilot stated that en route, he 'entered IMC and activated the pitot heat.' After an en route descent from 6,000' to 4,000', the pilot noted icing conditions & requested a climb to 5,000'. However, he was unable to maintain altitude, & the airplane began descending. The pilot said the pitot system had iced over (airspeed went to zero), & he declared an emergency. He diverted to Smithville, which had a published NDB approach. The NDB was not operating, though the ARTCC controller provided a frequency for the NDB. About 2,000' msl, the airplane descended below the clouds, & the pilot requested a frequency to activate the runway lights. After a delay of about 2 minutes, the frequency was provided. The pilot activated the runway lights, maneuvered onto final approach, & extended the landing gear. He noted a slight buffet as power was reduced. Ice on the windscreen limited forward visibility. While attempting to reach the runway, the pilot applied rudder to yaw the airplane and visually check runway alignment. About that time, the airplane hit rising terrain, 239' short of the runway. The pitot heat was operational after the accident.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,295 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 141 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days; 1,150 as pilot in command; 637 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,262 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 26, 1995; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TYS Knoxville TN at 4:46 am
- Destination: BNA Nashville TN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 24, 4,107 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 280° at 16 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 am from BNA, 43 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.
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.