Beech 58 accident near Conway, Arkansas, September 12, 1990
On September 12, 1990 at about 11:50 pm local time, a Beech 58, registered N5641D, was destroyed in an accident near Conway, Arkansas (Dennis F Centrell Field). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT AND HIS DELAYED DECISION TO ABORT THE LANDING. FACTORS WERE THE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 1990 · about 11:50 pm local time
- Place
- Conway, Arkansas · Dennis F Centrell Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58 · all 58s on the register
- Registration
- N5641D · registry record · serial TH-1581
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPORT WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN NDB APPROACH WITH A MDA OF 774 FEET AGL AND AN INBOUND COURSE OF 270 DEGREES. WITNESSES WERE CONSISTENT WITH RECOLLECTIONS OF HEAVY RAIN AND CEILINGS OF 300- 400 FEET. THE AIRPLANE'S INITIAL DOWNWIND APPROACH WAS TO RUNWAY 25 AND RESULTED IN A GO-AROUND. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE TO INDICATE THAT THE PILOT EXECUTED THE PUBLISHED MISSED APPROACH. DURING THE SECOND ATTEMPTED LANDING A WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE ABOUT 2/3 OF THE WAY DOWN RUNWAY 25 STILL AT AN EXCESSIVE SPEED PRIOR TO HEARING THE ENGINES ACCELERATE. A PASSENGER REPORTED THAT THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO STOP BUT THEY WERE NOT SLOWING DOWN. THE AIRPLANE GOT AIRBORNE AND STRUCK THE AIRPORT BOUNDARY FENCE 129 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. IT SUBSEQUENTLY STRUCK TREES AND A HOUSE WHERE A POST IMPACT FIRE BEGAN. BOTH THE HOUSE AND AIRPLANE WERE CONSUMED BY THE FIRE.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,433 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 1,227 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 126 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 20, 1990; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550-C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Beech Aircraft Corporation
The flight
- Departed from: BEC Wichita KS at 10:10 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 25, 4,360 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 135° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 350 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 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.
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.