Piper PA-31-350 accident near Fort Smith, Arkansas, September 3, 1983
On September 3, 1983 at about 2:01 am local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N3594G, was destroyed in an accident near Fort Smith, Arkansas (Fort Smith Muni. airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. 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
- September 3, 1983 · about 2:01 am local time
- Place
- Fort Smith, Arkansas · Fort Smith Muni.
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N3594G · no longer on the register · serial 31-8052089
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT HAD DEPARTED LAREDO, TX, ON A FLT TO FT SMITH, AR, WITH AN INTERMEDIATE STOP AT BRINKLEY, AR. THE FUEL TANKS WERE 'TOPPED' AT LAREDO, BUT NO FUEL WAS ADDED AT BRINKLEY. DURING ARRIVAL AT FT SMITH, THE PLT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY FOR 'EXTREMELY LOW FUEL.' HE WAS CLEARED FOR A STRAIGHT-IN APCH. VERY SHORTLY AFTER THAT, BOTH ENGS BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH WITH BOTH FUEL BOOST PUMP LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE PLT INFORMED THE TOWER THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REACH THE ARPT. HE SELECTED A DARK UNPOPULATED AREA TO LAND & EXTENDED THE GEAR. WHEN HE TURNED ON THE LANDING LIGHTS, HE REALIZE HE HAD SELECTED A WOODED AREA. THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED AFTER IMPACTING TREES. THE PLT HAD BEGUN THE 1ST OF 6 FLT AT 0608 CDT & HAD GOTTEN VERY LITTLE SLEEP THE PRECEEDING NIGHT.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,107 hours in all; 724 in this make and model; 159 in the last 90 days; 5,952 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,308 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 15, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M36 Brinkley AR at 1:10 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 25, 8,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 110° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.