Cessna 172 accident near Pine Bluff, Arkansas, January 6, 2001
On January 6, 2001 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N8984B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pine Bluff, Arkansas. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the forced landing on a gravel road. Contributing factors were the pilot's delay in using carburetor heat and the loose gravel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 6, 2001 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Pine Bluff, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N8984B · registry record · serial 36684
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying the airplane at 1,200 feet agl, looking at the ice damage caused by a recent storm. As the airplane was crossing plowed fields, which were surrounded by trees, the engine rpm "dropped to around 1100." The pilot "pushed the fuel mixture all the way to rich, pulled the carburetor heat control, pushed off the cabin heat and pushed the throttle all the way forward," with no increase in engine performance. A forced landing was initiated to a gravel road. During the landing roll, the airplane drifted off the left side of the road into a muddy ditch. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot reported that the loss of engine power was due to carburetor icing.
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
What happened, in order
- LOSS OF ENGINE POWER during maneuvering
- FORCED LANDING during emergency descent/landing
- LOSS OF CONTROL - ON GROUND/WATER during landing - roll
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, none, none
- Flight time: 207 hours in all; 207 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 189 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 6, 1999
- Medical certificate: class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,583 hours
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: PBF Pine Bluff AR at 5:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°C, dew point 0°C
- Altimeter: 30.049999 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from lit, 44 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW01LA064.