Beech F35 accident near Mena, Arkansas, August 11, 1993
On August 11, 1993, a Beech F35, registered N5064B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mena, Arkansas. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE INFLIGHT SEPARATION OF THE RUDDERVATOR AS RESULT OF IMPROPER BALANCING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 1993
- Place
- Mena, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech F35 · all F35s on the register
- Registration
- N5064B · no longer on the register · serial D-4319
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A SEVERE VIBRATION DEVELOPED AS THE OUTER PORTION OF THE RIGHT RUDDERVATOR AND THE COUNTER WEIGHT FOR THE LEFT RUDDERVATOR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME ON THE DOWNWIND LEG AT AN ESTIMATED 155 MPH. TURBULENCE WAS NOT ENCOUNTERED AT ANY TIME DURING THE DESCENT OR THE APPROACH. THE PILOT CLOSED THE THROTTLE AND EXTENDED THE LANDING IN AN ATTEMPT TO SLOW DOWN THE AIRPLANE. AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING WAS MADE AT THE INTENDED AIRPORT. EXAMINATION OF THE RUDDERVATORS REVEALED THAT BOTH RUDDERVATORS WERE OUT OF BALANCE DUE TO A COMBINATION OF UNAUTHORIZED SHEET METAL REPAIRS, IMPROPER PAINT APPLICATION TECHNIQUES, AND THE USE OF A LOCALLY MANUFACTURED COUNTER WEIGHT.
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: 5,000 hours in all; 1,100 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,482 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 15, 1993; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LIT Little Rock AR at 11:10 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from HOT, 55 miles away
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.
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.