Beechcraft 65-90 N101GA

Summary

On 4 January 1995 at about 00:17 local time, a Beechcraft 65-90 registered N101GA was involved in an accident near Royal, Arkansas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 January 1995 at 00:17

Classification

Accident

Location

Royal, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

34.5207, -93.3201

Aircraft

Beechcraft 65-90

Registration

N101GA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hot Springs → Pueblo

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

FTW95FA080

2 people died.

THE PILOT INADVERTENTLY ALLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO DESCEND AND COLLIDE WITH TREES, AFTER HE BECAME DIVERTED BY AN INOPERATIVE CABIN HEATER. DARKNESS WAS A RELATED FACTOR.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING, FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN, AND TOOK OFF AT NIGHT ON A FLIGHT FROM HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS, TO PUEBLO, COLORADO. ABOUT ONE MINUTE LATER, HE ADVISED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL THAT HE NEEDED TO RETURN TO HOT SPRINGS. HE THEN CONTACTED THE AIRPLANE OPERATOR AND SAID THE HEATER WAS NOT WORKING. THE OPERATOR SUGGESTED THAT HE RETURN FOR REPAIRS. THE PILOT WAS THEN HEARD TO SAY, 'OH, SHOOT!' NO FURTHER RADIO TRANSMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED FROM THE FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE CUT A 400 FOOT SWATH THROUGH TREES, AND THE WRECKAGE PATH MEASURED 940 FEET. WITH EXCEPTION OF A HEATER PROBLEM, NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL FAILURE WAS EVIDENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.