FlightFollower4 family members Killed as Plane Narrowly Misses YMCA — Loss of Control(2014)
Accident facts and aircraft context
Onboard were pilot Glenn Mull, his wife Elaine, daughter Amy, and granddaughter Samantha.
Purpose of the flight
Part 91 personal IFR cross-country travel.
Flight sequence and key events
As the aircraft neared Nashville, it was cleared for a GPS approach, but initially tracked about 0.5 miles right of course, forcing a missed approach.
During a second approach attempt, the airplane slowed below safe airspeed, likely due to left-engine power loss and possible icing, which increased stall and minimum control speeds, causing the aircraft to enter an uncontrolled descent.
Witnesses reported that in the final seconds, Mull executed a sharp right turn, narrowly avoiding the YMCA, a nearby retirement home, and surrounding buildings by only 20 feet, likely saving dozens of lives on the ground.
The aircraft impacted a small patch of grass and exploded, scattering debris over a wide area.
The accident was influenced by pilot error during approach, aircraft performance loss from icing and engine failure, and loss of control.
Despite the tragedy, Mull’s final maneuver is widely credited with preventing additional casualties on the ground.
The fatal Bellevue accident was shaped by an approach in which aircraft performance, weather and alignment all mattered. The final moments near the YMCA are important because the aircraft's trajectory affected people on the ground as well as those aboard.
Investigation findings
The NTSB completed a full investigation into the crash.
The NTSB investigation identifies N840V, a Gulfstream 690C, and the 3 February 2014 accident near Bellevue, Tennessee. The investigation docket includes extensive weather material and other factual records. The record treats the approach, aircraft performance and weather as investigative subjects and does not convert early hypotheses into final findings.
On Monday, 3 February 2014, at 16:55, a private Rockwell Aero Commander 690C Jetprop 840 (Registration: N840V, MSN: 11727, 1982, 4,460 airframe hours) crashed near the Bellevue Family YMCA in Bellevue, Tennessee, during the approach phase to Nashville, TN (JWN).
How the event developed
During the second approach, the airplane lost airspeed with one engine inoperative and entered an uncontrolled descent. Icing and the engine-power loss reduced the available performance margin.
What the record establishes
The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed with one engine inoperative, which resulted in a loss of control while on approach. Contributing factors included airframe ice accumulation and the loss of engine power on one engine for reasons that could not be determined.
What the evidence shows
The final approach combined one-engine operation with reduced performance from icing. The NTSB found that inadequate airspeed control led to the loss of control; the engine-power loss itself could not be fully explained.
- Incident date
- 3 February 2014
- Aircraft / registration
- Rockwell Aero Commander 690C Jetprop 840 — N840V
- Investigation status
- NTSB investigation ERA14FA112