Cessna 140 accident near Dayton, Tennessee, March 2, 2008
On March 2, 2008 at about 6:55 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N3536V, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Dayton, Tennessee (Mark Anton 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 improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 2, 2008 · about 6:55 pm local time
- Place
- Dayton, Tennessee · Mark Anton Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N3536V · registry record · serial 14805
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the Cessna 140 was practicing crosswind landings. He stated that during the landing attempt, he flared the airplane "too soon." The airplane bounced hard on the runway, and began to bank left. The pilot corrected with aileron and rudder, and the airplane tracked to the right. The left main landing gear made contact with the runway, and separated from the airframe. The propeller, fuselage belly, and left wingtip contacted the runway surface, and the airplane came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies 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
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › (general) › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 100 hours in all; 20 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,848 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2008; 1.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2A0 Dayton TN at 6:20 pm
- Destination: Dayton TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from CSV, 29 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.