Beech C24R accident near Prairie Grove, Arkansas, October 15, 1983
On October 15, 1983 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Beech C24R, registered N23PS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Prairie Grove, Arkansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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
- October 15, 1983 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Prairie Grove, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C24R · all C24Rs on the register
- Registration
- N23PS · registry record · serial MC-680
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT ABOUT 15 MIN AFTER TAKEOFF, THE RADIO & NAVIGATION EQUPMENT QUIT WORKING. HE DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT TO LAND. HOWEVER, WHEN HE TRIED TO EXTEND THE GEAR, HE COULD NOT GET A SAFE GEAR DOWN INDICATION. THERE WAS HEAVY TRAFFIC, SO HE DEPARTED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN TO EXTEND THE GEAR. HE EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR ACCORDING TO INSTRUCTIONS IN HIS ACFT HANDBOOK. HE STATED THAT AS SOON AS THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED, THE ENG LOST POWER. THE PLT TRIEDTO GLIDE THE ACFT TO A LARGE FIELD FOR LANDING, BUT WAS UNABLE TO REACH IT. HE SELECTED A SMALLER FIELD & TRIED TO MAKE SHORT FIELD APCH, BUT THE FLAPS WOULD NOT EXTEND. BEFORE THE PLT COULD STOP THE ACFT, IT COLLIDED WITH A FENCE & A FEW SMALL TREES. DURING AN EXAM OF THE ACFT, ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OPERATED NORMALLY & FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANKS. THE ENG WAS THEN STARTED & IT OPERATED NORMALLY.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 240 hours in all; 24 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,304 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,660 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FYV Fayetteville AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:52 pm from FYV, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 FTW84LA025.