Beech A36 accident near Fayetteville, Arkansas, December 19, 2006
On December 19, 2006 at about 4:08 am local time, a Beech A36, registered N1100J, was destroyed in an accident near Fayetteville, Arkansas (Drake Field Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from obstacles. Contributing factors were the below approach/landing weather minimums, and the prevailing dark night conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 19, 2006 · about 4:08 am local time
- Place
- Fayetteville, Arkansas · Drake Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N1100J · no longer on the register · serial E-3058
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instrument rated commercial pilot was executing a night instrument approach to Runway 34 when the single-engine airplane collided with trees. The published approach minimums for the LDA/DME RWY 34 approach are an 800-foot ceiling and one-mile visibility. One surviving passenger on the airplane reported that as the airplane dropped below the clouds, it collided with the trees during the night. He added that it was foggy at the lower altitude. Another surviving passenger reported that the flight circled the airport once while the pilot was "punching numbers on a pad on the instrument panel." He also stated that "they couldn't see the runway lights" and the airplane collided with the trees short of the airport. About the time of the accident, a 400-foot ceiling was reported. After the accident, the runway lighting was verified as being operational. An examination of the airplane failed to reveal any anomalies with the airframe or systems. The aircraft collided with the trees in a wings level attitude approximately 4 miles from, and on the approach path to the runway. The instrument approach was flight checked as "fully operational" by the FAA following the accident. The pilot disregarded the glide slope information and tried to "duck" under the prevailing fog in order to see the approach lights.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1F0 Ardmore OK
- Destination: FYV Fayetteville AR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 34, 6,006 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 040° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.37 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 am from FYV, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.