Cessna 150 accident near Benton, Arkansas, June 5, 2004
On June 5, 2004 at about 3:38 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N5677E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Benton, Arkansas (Saline County Airport/Watts). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain airspeed resulting in an inadvertent stall during a go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 2004 · about 3:38 pm local time
- Place
- Benton, Arkansas · Saline County Airport/Watts · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N5677E · no longer on the register · serial 150-17177
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 38-hour student pilot reported that while performing a go-around, the pilot failed to retract the flaps and the airplane was unable to attain its normal rate of climb. The airplane stalled and collided with trees. The student pilot stated that on final approach, he had selected 40-degrees of flaps. The airplane drifted left of the runway during the approach and the pilot applied full power to initiate a go-around. Subsequently, the student pilot realized he had forgotten to retract the flaps after he noticed a very reduced rate of climb. The pilot retracted the flaps as the airplane continued to drift to the left over the tree line.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 38 hours in all; 9 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,796 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Looker Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: M99 Benton AR at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,980 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from LIT, 21 miles away
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.
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.