Beechcraft A36 N1100J

Summary

On 19 December 2006 at about 04:08 local time, a Beechcraft A36 registered N1100J was involved in an accident near Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States. 4 people were on board and one died, 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 December 2006 at 04:08

Classification

Accident

Location

Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States

Nearest airport

Drake Field Airport (FYV)

Coordinates

35.9461, -94.1631

Aircraft

Beechcraft A36

Registration

N1100J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ardmore → Fayetteville

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

DFW07FA041

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from obstacles. Contributing factors were the below approach/landing weather minimums, and the prevailing dark night conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The instrument rated commercial pilot was executing a night instrument approach to Runway 34 when the single-engine airplane collided with trees. The published approach minimums for the LDA/DME RWY 34 approach are an 800-foot ceiling and one-mile visibility. One surviving passenger on the airplane reported that as the airplane dropped below the clouds, it collided with the trees during the night. He added that it was foggy at the lower altitude. Another surviving passenger reported that the flight circled the airport once while the pilot was "punching numbers on a pad on the instrument panel." He also stated that "they couldn't see the runway lights" and the airplane collided with the trees short of the airport. About the time of the accident, a 400-foot ceiling was reported. After the accident, the runway lighting was verified as being operational. An examination of the airplane failed to reveal any anomalies with the airframe or systems. The aircraft collided with the trees in a wings level attitude approximately 4 miles from, and on the approach path to the runway. The instrument approach was flight checked as "fully operational" by the FAA following the accident. The pilot disregarded the glide slope information and tried to "duck" under the prevailing fog in order to see the approach lights.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.