Piper PA-28-140 accident near Cherokee City, Arkansas, March 15, 2006
On March 15, 2006 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N5537F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cherokee City, Arkansas (None airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 15, 2006 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cherokee City, Arkansas · None
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N5537F · no longer on the register · serial 28-24936
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 75-hour private pilot/owner planned a simulated low-approach to an open area within his property where he was planning on building a grass airstrip. The pilot reported that he had no intention to land and had planned to execute a go-around and then continue his flight on to his intended destination. As the pilot approached the field to the south, he added one notch of flaps and retarded the throttle to idle. He did not apply carburetor heat. When the airplane was on final approach, at approximately 200 feet above the ground, the pilot added power to initiate the intended go-around; however, there was no response and power did not increase above idle speed. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and the airplane landed short of the field, colliding with a fence and tree stumps. The pilot stated that when the airplane first touched down, the engine regained full power but, he immediately pulled the power back to idle to prevent further damage. The pilot and the passenger were able to egress the airplane unassisted and were not injured. Both wings were reported to have sustained structural damage. According to the pilot, he had owned the airplane for approximately seven months and had no previous problems with the engine. At the time of the accident, the temperature was reported as 37 degrees Fahrenheit and the dew point was 21 degrees Fahrenheit. The reason for the intermittent loss of engine power could not be determined.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 75 hours in all; 66 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SLG Siloam Springs AR
- Destination: GMJ Grove OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 12:35 pm, 7 miles away
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.