Piper PA28-201T accident near Heber Springs, Arkansas, September 2, 1990
On September 2, 1990 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Piper PA28-201T, registered N2082Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Heber Springs, Arkansas (Heber Springs airport). It was a personal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO CONDUCT A THOROUGH PREFLIGHT AND HIS ATTEMPT TO EXECUTE A TURN AT HIGH SPEED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 1990 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Heber Springs, Arkansas · Heber Springs · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28-201T · all PA28-201Ts on the register
- Registration
- N2082Y · no longer on the register · serial 7931143
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A TAKEOFF THE OBSERVED AN ERRATIC AIRSPEED INDICATION, FOLLOWED BY ZERO INDICATION, SO HE ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. DURING THE ABORTED TAKEOFF HE ATTEMPTED A HIGH SPEED TURN TO THE LEFT OFF THE RUNWAY, COLLAPSING THE NOSE GEAR AND CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO AIRPLANE. THE ERRATIC AIRSPEED WAS THE DIRECT RESULT OF A BLOCKAGE OF THE PITOT STATIC SYSTEM BY AN INSECT NEST.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,674 hours in all; 470 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO 360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: COU Ashland MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:52 pm from JBR, 72 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N2082Y the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.