On December 16, 1984,
Air Resorts Airlines Flight 953 experienced an in-flight engine failure, fire, and ground collision during the landing roll following an emergency landing at the airport. The flight was carrying the
East Tennessee State University basketball team to
Oxford, Mississippi from
Birmingham, Alabama. Two of the 39 occupants of the
Convair CV 440 airplane were seriously injured during the accident, 11 others received minor injuries. As the airport did not have on-field emergency services, the nearby Jasper Fire Department was called by the airport manager moments before the emergency landing after being alerted by the
Birmingham Approach air traffic controller. During the landing the aircraft veered off Runway 27 and crossed the north–south taxiway, at which time the right landing gear separated and the airplane skidded to a stop. The aircraft was subsequently destroyed by fire. The
NTSB concluded the accident resulted from the failure of the Number 6 cylinder in the right engine which caused a complete loss of power with a subsequent windmilling propeller and engine fire. ==See also==