Amateur-built 690C accident near Hughes, Arkansas, March 29, 1982
On March 29, 1982 at about 10:10 pm local time, a amateur-built 690C, registered N5957K, was destroyed in an accident near Hughes, Arkansas. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 29, 1982 · about 10:10 pm local time
- Place
- Hughes, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 690C
- Registration
- N5957K · no longer on the register · serial 11720
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT HAD BEEN ON SALES DEMONSTRATION FLTS AND WAS ON A DELIVERY FLT FROM MEMPHIS, TN TO DALLAS, TX. THE PLANE WAS OBSERVED DEPARTING AT 1550 CDT IN A MAX PERFORMANCE CLIMB. RADAR INFO FROM MODE C OF THE TRANSPONDER RETURNS INDICATED THAT THE ACFT CLIMBED FROM 1000 TO 16,000 FT IN 7 MIN AND 14 SEC. LEVEL FLT WAS INDICATED AT 16,300 FT FROM 1558:16 TO 1601:17 CDT. THE LAST ALT RETURN WAS FROM 16,000 FT AT 2201:07. TWO MORE RETURNS WERE RECEIVED AT 2201:49 & 2202:08, BUT WITH NO ALTITUDE READ-OUT. AT ABOUT THAT TIME, THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED SPIRALING DOWN, COUNTERCLOCKWISE, WITH A PORTION OF THE LEFT WING MISSING. THE WING TIP (OUTER WING PANEL OUTBOARD FROM ABOUT WING STATION 190), LEFT AILERON AND LEFT ENGINE TAIL CONE PANEL WERE FOUND ABOUT 3 MI FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE IMPACT POINT. AN EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE WING PANEL SEPARATION OCCURRED UPWARD FROM POSITIVE OVERLOAD FORCES. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND OF FATIGUE OR PRE-EXISTING FAILURE. LIGHT TO MODERATE TURBULENCE WAS REPORTED BETWEEN 14,000 AND 18,000 FT MSL.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,830 hours in all; 182 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 55 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,325 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Airesearch TPE331-5-254K (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MEM Memphis TN
- Destination: DAL Dallas TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 151°F (66°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from MEM, 20 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.