Piper PA-46-310P accident near Corning, Arkansas, January 3, 2000
On January 3, 2000, a Piper PA-46-310P, registered N87NF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Corning, Arkansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 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 an undetermined reason. A factor was the dark night light condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 3, 2000
- Place
- Corning, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-310P · all PA-46-310Ps on the register
- Registration
- N87NF · no longer on the register · serial 4608099
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was cruising at flight level 270 (27,000 feet) in dark night IMC, when the pilot heard a 'muffled thump,' from the engine. He observed an 'immediate loss of power (torque 0/ng 20%),' declared an emergency to ATC, and was advised of the nearest airport. He attempted one air restart and two electrical restarts, but was unsuccessful. During the ensuing forced landing, the airplane entered VFR conditions descending through 5,000 feet, and came to rest in a field, in 3-5 feet of standing water, southeast of the airport. A review of the downloaded data from the engine trend monitor and examination of the engine and its components by Pratt and Whitney did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation prior to the loss of engine power.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,900 hours in all; 180 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1999; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-34 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TEX Telluride CO at 8:00 pm
- Destination: PDK Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 110° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,700 ft; scat at 200 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N87NF the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.