Beech 1900C accident near Eagleton, Arkansas, December 9, 2002
On December 9, 2002 at about 4:40 pm local time, a Beech 1900C, registered N127YV, was destroyed in an accident near Eagleton, Arkansas (Mena Intermountain Municipal airport). It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
In-flight collision with terrain due to the pilot's failure to maintain clearance and altitude above rapidly rising terrain while on a VFR approach. Contributing factors were the obscuration of the terrain due to clouds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 9, 2002 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- Eagleton, Arkansas · Mena Intermountain Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 1900C · all 1900Cs on the register
- Registration
- N127YV · no longer on the register · serial UC-127
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft collided with mountainous terrain in a level descent during a visual approach to the destination airport. According to recorded radar data, 10 minutes after descending from 15,000 feet, the flight impacted about 200 feet below the top of the partially obscured ridgeline (elevation of 2550 feet), and 8 miles from the destination. The data indicates the flight path was similar to the global positioning satellite (GPS) approach to the airport. Six minutes before the accident, and the pilot's last transmission to air traffic control, he was informed and acknowledged that radar service was terminated. The flight was 12.4 miles from the accident site when radar contact was lost. Reduced visibility due to fog hampered search & rescue efforts, and the aircraft wreckage was located the next day. The aircraft was equipped with a GPS navigation system; however the installation was incomplete, restricting its use to visual flight rules (VFR) only. The investigation did not determine if the GPS was being used at the time. A non-enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System was also installed. The maximum elevation figure listed on the sectional aeronautical chart covering the area of the accident site and destination airport was 3000 feet mean sea level. The chart also shows an advisory for the area to use caution due to rapidly rising.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,200 hours in all
- Last flight review: June 1, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
Co-pilot
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,473 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, December 1, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 16,600 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65B (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65B (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Raytheon Aircraft Comapany
The flight
- Departed from: BEC Wichita KS at 3:30 pm
- Destination: M39 Mena KS
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.30 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.