Beech 58 accident near Atkins, Arkansas, January 21, 1996
On January 21, 1996 at about 5:32 pm local time, a Beech 58, registered N3010W, was destroyed in an accident near Atkins, Arkansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Continued flight by the pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his failure to maintain sufficient altitude above mountainous/hilly terrain. Factors relating to the accident were: low ceiling, fog, and high terrain in the area of the accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 21, 1996 · about 5:32 pm local time
- Place
- Atkins, Arkansas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58 · all 58s on the register
- Registration
- N3010W · registry record · serial TH-363
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instrument rated private pilot was operating a multiengine airplane for which he was restricted to VFR only. On a day VFR cross-country flight, he continued towards his destination airport after encountering clouds and fog. The airplane wreckage was found approximately 350 feet beyond the crest of Crow Mountain, about 7.12 nautical miles east of the destination airport. A postimpact fire destroyed the airplane. Residents in the area of the accident site, reported the weather was foggy with a visibility of 100 feet to 1/4 mile. Examination of the airplane and engine did not disclose any preimpact structural or mechanical anomaly.
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: 300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 13, 1995
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 2M8 Millington TN at 4:34 pm
- Destination: MO6 Russellville AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 0.1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.