Piper PA-25-235 accident near Benton, Arkansas, March 26, 2022
On March 26, 2022 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1965 Piper PA-25-235, registered N7523Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Benton, Arkansas (Saline County 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 control of the airplane while landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 26, 2022 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Benton, Arkansas · Saline County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-235, built 1965 · all PA-25-235s on the register
- Registration
- N7523Z · registry record · serial 25-3564
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot planned to complete two takeoffs and landings (touch-and-goes) followed by a full stop landing. He executed a go-around and a touch-and-go before the accident landing. After the airplane touched down during the accident landing, the airplane tail began to settle to the runway. The pilot responded by pulling the control stick aft. About 2-3 seconds later, the airplane began to pitch up and bank to the right. At that point, the pilot “realized that [he] was behind the aircraft.” He attempted to execute a go-around but lost control of the airplane, resulting in a runway excursion. The airplane came to rest in a ditch off the right side of the runway. The right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane before the accident.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 276 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 178 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 28, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,621 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 12, 2022; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B2B5 (piston); 842 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Calvin OK at 5:45 pm
- Destination: SUZ Benton AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 2, 5,002 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from KSUZ, 230 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KSUZ 261955Z AUTO 18007KT 10SM CLR 21/M05 A3005
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 28, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 17 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.