Temco D-16A accident near Clarksville, Arkansas, April 8, 2024
On April 8, 2024 at about 7:10 pm local time, a 1947 Temco D-16A, registered N131N, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Clarksville, Arkansas (Clarksville airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s mismanagement of the fuel supply, which resulted in a loss of engine power on the left engine due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 2024 · about 7:10 pm local time
- Place
- Clarksville, Arkansas · Clarksville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Temco D-16A, built 1947 · all D-16As on the register
- Registration
- N131N · registry record · serial TTN-65
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff in the twin-engine airplane the left engine stopped producing power. The airplane rolled left and impacted trees which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and both wings. The airplane was equipped with five fuel tanks: left and right nacelle tanks, left and right tip tanks, and one main fuel tank. The fuel tanks were drained after the accident and the left nacelle was empty. The right nacelle had negligible fuel. The main fuel tank contained 27 gallons, and the left tip tank contained 13 gallons. The right tip tank was compromised. The right fuel selector valve was found set to the right nacelle tank, and the left fuel selector valve was set to the left nacelle tank. The pilot stated that he thought the fuel selector valves were set to the main tank; however, he also stated that it was possible that he had the nacelle fuel tanks selected. The main tank position is 180 degrees from the nacelle tank position, and the two positions were easy to confuse. Given the as-found state of the selector, he likely had the left and right nacelle fuel tanks selected. A small leak was discovered on the upper portion of the left nacelle fuel tank’s bladder, but it was in a location that would not have accounted for the tank being found totally empty. When fuel was added to the airplane, the left engine was started and operated normally. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the left engine’s loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
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
- Fuel starvation during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 8,000 as pilot in command; 3,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 9, 2024
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,376 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 3, 2023
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming O-340 A1A (piston); 242 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming O-340 A1A (piston); 674 hours total
The flight
- Destination: ASG Springdale AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 4,504 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.91 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KRUE, 21 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KRUE 081853Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 24/06 A2991
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 CEN24LA151.