Piper PA-28-140 accident near Lakeview, Arkansas, April 7, 2006
On April 7, 2006 at about 5:19 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N4316T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lakeview, Arkansas (Gastons Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate weather evaluation and failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. A contributing factor was the prevailing tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 2006 · about 5:19 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeview, Arkansas · Gastons Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N4316T · no longer on the register · serial 28-7225137
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 700-hour private pilot of the single-engine airplane collided with trees and terrain at the departure end of runway 06 while attempting to depart the 3,200-foot long, by 55-foot wide turf runway with a 17 knot tailwind. The pilot reported that he encountered a wind reversal at treetop level. The pilot further reported that the airplane began "mushing forward on the edge of a stall" while in a nose high attitude. The airplane subsequently collided with a tree and came to rest in a large tree. At 1153, a weather reporting facility located approximately five miles east of the accident site reported wind from 240 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 17 knots. The pilot added that the "visibility was good, but the atmosphere was turbulent and unstable." Runway 06 features 30-foot tall trees on the left side and the departure end on the runway. The published airport procedures for obstacle clearance at the accident airport was to use of runway 06 for departures and runway 24 for arrivals.
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: 700 hours in all; 490 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: November 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,915.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2005; 17.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K3M0 Lakeview AR
- Destination: KHRO Harrison AR
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 06, 3,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 11 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.53 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KBPK, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.