Beech 400 accident near Bentonville, Arkansas, February 14, 2024
On February 14, 2024 at about 8:10 pm local time, a 1991 Beech 400, registered N95GK, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Bentonville, Arkansas (Bentonville Muni/Louise M Thad airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 7 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Improper rigging of the elevator cable over the upper guard pin, which resulted in a cable separation and loss of elevator control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 14, 2024 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Bentonville, Arkansas · Bentonville Muni/Louise M Thad · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 7 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 400 A, built 1991 · all 400s on the register
- Registration
- N95GK · registry record · serial RK-27
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the takeoff the pilot pulled the airplane’s control yoke aft to rotate and the airplane lifted off the runway as normal. The nose of the airplane dropped, and the pilot applied additional backpressure on the yoke. The pilot reported he felt a “snap” followed by a lack of tension on the control yoke. The airplane pitched down and settled back on the runway. The pilot applied maximum braking and full thrust reverse; however, the airplane continued off the end of the runway. The pilot applied left rudder and brake to turn the airplane to avoid contacting a gas station. The landing gear collapsed during the turn, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing when it struck the ground. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the elevator control cable was fractured at a pulley bracket near the aft portion of the fuselage where the cable transitioned from a horizontal to a vertical orientation. A metallurgical examination found nearly all the wires of the cable had rubbing damage to varying extents around the sides of the wires near the fracture. The upper guard pin exhibited wear, scratch marks, and gouges. The pulley contained several isolated wire fragments. The damage on the cable, upper guard pin on the pulley, and the pulley assembly was consistent with the cable having been improperly routed on the wrong side of the upper guard pin. Over time, the cable likely rubbed against the upper guard pin until the cable was sufficiently damaged to produce failure under normal operating loads. A review of the maintenance logbook entries found that the elevator cable was replaced about a year before the accident and that the airplane flew about 316.5 hours before the cable separated.
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
- Runway excursion during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
- Flight control sys malf/fail during takeoff defining event
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Landing gear collapse during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Elevator control system › Failure
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Replacement › Maintenance personnel
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Elevator control system › Damaged/degraded
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Elevator control system › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 17,500 as pilot in command; 1,600 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 9, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 961 hours in all; 227 in this make and model; 71 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 630 as pilot in command; 411 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 5, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,062.4 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 16, 2023; 84 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 16,300 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5B (turbofan); 7,888 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5B (turbofan); 7,855 hours total
- Operator: Pdii LLC
The flight
- Destination: KJQF Concord NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18, 5,053 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 9 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from KVBT, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KVBT 141956Z AUTO 21009G16KT 10SM CLR 18/03 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP183 T01780028 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 5 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN24LA115.