Beech S35 accident near Harrison, Arkansas, December 4, 2003
On December 4, 2003 at about 4:06 pm local time, a Beech S35, registered N350JL, was destroyed in an accident near Harrison, Arkansas (Boone County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain the proper airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. Contributing factors were the pilot's failure to follow the published instrument approach procedures, and his failure attain the proper glidepath.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 4, 2003 · about 4:06 pm local time
- Place
- Harrison, Arkansas · Boone County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech S35 · all S35s on the register
- Registration
- N350JL · no longer on the register · serial D-7706
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to departure, the 6,000-hour instrument rated private pilot obtained a weather briefing and filed an IFR flight plan for 103-nautical mile flight, which he estimated to be a 45 minute flight. The flight was cleared by the ILS RWY 36 approach into his destination airport, which was an uncontrolled airport. While on the approach, the pilot reported on the airport’s Unicom frequency, that he was a "little" high and was going to make a downwind entry for runway 36. A witness first observed the airplane when it was midfield of the runway at an approximate altitude of 300 to 400 feet agl. The airplane then made a left crosswind turn; followed by another left turn and entered a narrow downwind leg for runway 36. While on the downwind leg, the airplane appeared to get "lower and slower than usual." As it crossed over buildings located southwest of the runway, it turned left onto the base leg, and made a steep bank as it turned onto final approach; however, the airplane "overshot" the runway. A second witness observed the airplane traveling north to south approximately 50-60 feet agl when it made a "hard" left turn. The airplane then made a "hard twisting movement" and the nose of the airplane pointed down toward the ground. The airplane came to rest upright in a 15-foot deep drainage ditch on a magnetic heading of 100-degrees, approximately 1/4-mile southeast and about 400 feet east of the extended centerline. There was no post-impact fire. The airplane, which was not equipped with shoulder harnesses, was configured with the landing gear down, the flaps extended to 12 degrees and the speed brakes deployed at the time of the impact. At the time of the accident the weather was reported as overcast skies at 700 feet with visibility at 4 miles. Flight control continuity was established and the examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that could have prevented normal operations.
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: 6,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,665.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 26, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LIT Little Rock AR at 3:12 pm
- Destination: HRO Harrison AR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 36, 6,161 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from HRO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| 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.