Piper PA28 accident near Malvern, Arkansas, July 18, 2009
On July 18, 2009 at about 2:36 am local time, a Piper PA28, registered N33365, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Malvern, Arkansas (Malvern airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the approach to landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 2009 · about 2:36 am local time
- Place
- Malvern, Arkansas · Malvern · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 140 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N33365 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7525178
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the approach to landing was routine, flown with two notches of flaps, and airspeed steady at 80 knots. The pilot said the airplane appeared to be landing long, so he selected the last notch of flaps. Immediately afterward, he observed that the airspeed had decayed to 60 knots and the airplane had developed a high sink rate. The pilot applied full power but was unable to arrest the descent. The airplane impacted terrain approximately ten feet short of the runway threshold sustaining in substantial damage. An examination showed the left wing was fractured and mostly separated from the airframe just outboard of the fuselage. The left main landing gear and nose gear had collapsed and the propeller was bent. The pilot stated that the weather was clear, there was no wind, and there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident. An examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Airworthiness Inspector confirmed no mechanical anomalies.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Landing area undershoot during landing defining event
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 350 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 300 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 17, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,045 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 7, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 875 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M78 Malvern AR at 1:00 am
- Destination: M78 Malvern AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 3,188 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from KLIT, 36 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.