Beech 65-A90 accident near Mount Ida, Arkansas, May 1, 1993
On May 1, 1993 at about 11:37 am local time, a Beech 65-A90, registered N530N, was destroyed in an accident near Mount Ida, Arkansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ESTABLISH AN ADEQUATE CLIMB RATE. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: PILOT FATIGUE FROM LACK OF SLEEP, AND THE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 1, 1993 · about 11:37 am local time
- Place
- Mount Ida, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 65-A90 · all 65-A90s on the register
- Registration
- N530N · no longer on the register · serial LJ141
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
APPROXIMATELY 7 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN APRX 3 MILES FROM THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS 1,100 FT MSL; THE HIGHEST TERRAIN IN THE AREA IS 1,400 FT MSL. THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT ELEVATION IS 643 FT MSL. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARED INTO CLOUDS AT APRX 200 FT FOLLOWING TAKEOFF, AND THAT THE HILLS TO THE SOUTHEAST WERE OBSCURED BY CLOUDS. THE PILOT HAD ABOUT 4 HOURS SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,100 hours in all; 650 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 2,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,660 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 18, 1993
- Maximum gross weight: 9,650 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: HHG Huntington IN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 0.8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft; not recorded at 200 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.