N4418F

On July 6, 2000, about 1300 eastern daylight time, a Taylorcraft F21B, N4418F, registered to and operated by a private owner, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed while the pilot was attempting to land at Fayette County Airport, Somerville, Tennessee. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the commercial-rated pilot received minor injuries. The flight originated in Alliance, Ohio, the same day, about 0900.

The pilot stated that on final approach to land he adjusted the throttle control and reduced engine power, but realized that he was too high. He said 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 to both wing spars, the landing gear, and the propeller. Prior to the accident there had been no mechanical failure or malfunction with the airplane or its systems.