Curtis-Travel Air 4000 accident near Morrilton, Arkansas, August 3, 2001
On August 3, 2001 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Curtis-Travel Air 4000, registered N5433, was substantially damaged in an accident near Morrilton, Arkansas (Hetrick Ranch Turf Strip airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during takeoff. Contributing factors were the pilot's lack of experience in the accident airplane, and the rough/uneven runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 2001 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Morrilton, Arkansas · Hetrick Ranch Turf Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Curtis-Travel Air 4000
- Registration
- N5433 · registry record · serial 522
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the takeoff roll on the private grass airstrip, at 50-60 knots, the pilot raised the tail of the vintage bi-plane to a takeoff attitude. The right main landing gear hit a bump, the airplane became airborne and banked left. The pilot over corrected back to the right, and the right wingtip hit the ground. The right wingtip drug along the ground, and the airplane turned right and went through a barbed wire fence. The pilot aborted the takeoff, and the airplane landed hard separating the main landing gear. The airplane then impacted a piece of farm equipment with the left wing and a fence post with the right wing before coming to rest upright. At the time of the accident, the pilot had logged a total flight time of 2300 hours, of which 500 hours were in tail-wheel equipped airplanes. The pilot had 0.6 hours in the accident airplane.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,300 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 2,100 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 14, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming R680 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Morrilton AR at 1:30 pm
- Destination: MLC Mcalester OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 1,700 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.