Cessna T303 accident near Mena, Arkansas, April 16, 1993
On April 16, 1993 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Cessna T303, registered N9481T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mena, Arkansas (Mena airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 1993 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Mena, Arkansas · Mena · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T303 · all T303s on the register
- Registration
- N9481T · registry record · serial T30300022
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING TAXI OPERATIONS THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A PARKED AIRPLANE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT A MALFUNCTIONING BRAKE CAUSED THE LOSS OF CONTROL. NO BRAKE SYSTEM DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND DURING AN EXAMINATION BY A CERTIFICATED INSPECTOR AIRFRAME (IA)
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 land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 798 hours in all; 354 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 647 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,451 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1993; 134 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-AE (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M39 at 10:15 pm
- Destination: CDH Camden AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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 FTW93LA133.