Cessna 320D accident near Carlisle, Arkansas, April 8, 1983
On April 8, 1983 at about 2:15 am local time, a Cessna 320D, registered N888Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Carlisle, Arkansas (Carlisle airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 1983 · about 2:15 am local time
- Place
- Carlisle, Arkansas · Carlisle
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 320D · all 320Ds on the register
- Registration
- N888Q · registry record · serial 320D0029
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A PRIVATE PILOT WAS RECEIVING MULTI-ENGINE TRAINING FROM A CFI WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE CFI PULLED THE RIGHT THROTTLE BACK FOR ENGINE OUT TRAINING AND THE ACFT PROCEEDED AROUND THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE PILOT THINKS HE MOVED THE GEAR SELECTOR FROM UP TO NEUTRAL INSTEAD OF DOWN AND DID NOT CHECK THE LANDING GEAR POSITION INDICATOR LIGHTS. AS THE LANDING FLAIR WAS STARTED, AND THE PROPELLERS STRUCK THE RUNWAY, THE CFI PUT THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN. THE GEAR WARNING HORN WAS BLOWING THRU OUT THE APPROACH.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,480 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 116 in the last 90 days; 2,294 as pilot in command; 11 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,200 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, February 18, 1983; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSI0-520B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LIT Little Rock AR at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,500 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 045° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 FTW83LA181.