Cessna 340 accident near El Dorado, Texas, December 11, 1996
On December 11, 1996, a Cessna 340, registered N999JW, was substantially damaged in an accident near El Dorado, Texas (Eldorado airport). It was a business 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 inadequate compensation for wind conditions. The gusty wind was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 11, 1996
- Place
- El Dorado, Texas · Eldorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 340 · all 340s on the register
- Registration
- N999JW · registry record · serial 340A0113
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was 'approximately 100 feet short of the runway and approximately 35-50 feet above the ground, [when the] right wing went up, then [the] left wing struck the tarmac.' Two witnesses stated that the winds were 'gusty' at the time of the accident. After the accident, the pilot stated that he thought he had encountered an unexpected gust of wind during short final. He estimated that the winds at the time of the accident were from 190 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 25 knots or greater. Examination of the airplane revealed structural damage to the left wing and collapsed left main and nose gear. Ground scars with aircraft paint transfers were found approximately 27 feet left of runway centerline. The pilot and an FAA inspector noted that grass was overgrowing the edges of the runway (approximately 8-12 feet on each side). No mechanical anomalies with the aircraft were found that would have contributed to the accident. The accident occurred at dusk; the runway lights were operational.
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: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FSM Fort Smith AR at 9:00 pm
- Destination: 27R
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,150 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 190° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 18,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
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 FTW97LA059.