Piper PA-28RT-201T accident near Harrison, Arkansas, December 20, 2003
On December 20, 2003 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-28RT-201T, registered N69RS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Harrison, Arkansas (Boone County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The collapsing of the right main landing gear during the landing roll out as a result of impacting an animal on the runway during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 20, 2003 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Harrison, Arkansas · Boone County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28RT-201T · all PA-28RT-201Ts on the register
- Registration
- N69RS · registry record · serial 28R-7931305
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 8,521-hour commercial pilot reported that he departed on Runway 22, and just after lift off, the aircraft impacted a deer with the right main landing gear. According to the pilot, "deer routinely cross the runway at this spot." Once airborne, the pilot reported some control difficulty and elected to return to the airport. The pilot circled the airport for approximately one hour to burn fuel. Due to the prevailing crosswind, the pilot elected to land at another airport. During the landing roll out, the right gear collapsed. An examination of the aircraft by the FAA inspector revealed the landing gear showed no indication of having collided with an object or animal on the runway.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,521 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 172 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 8,121 as pilot in command; 3,286 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 10, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 30, 2003; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-FB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FLP Flippin AR at 9:00 pm
- Destination: AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 6,161 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 FTW04LA051.