Cessna 172N accident near Cord, Arkansas, August 15, 1998
On August 15, 1998 at about 2:38 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N6323G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cord, Arkansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's performance of low altitude flight and his failure to maintain obstacle clearance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 1998 · about 2:38 pm local time
- Place
- Cord, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N6323G · no longer on the register · serial 17273589
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with a power line while maneuvering at low altitude. Witnesses observed the airplane flying at 'treetop height' along a river. The passenger reported that as they flew around a sharp bend in the river, he saw the power line crossing the river. Damage to the leading edge of the left wing indicated that the airplane was in a steep right bank when the left wing contacted the wires, which were an estimated 50 to 75 feet agl. Subsequently, the airplane impacted the river and sank. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no evidence of any mechanical discrepancies. The 17-year-old private pilot had accumulated a total flight time of about 85 hours and had flown the accident airplane 15 to 20 hours since obtaining his private pilot certificate 2 months prior to the accident.
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: 85 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 20 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,294 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 5, 1998; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M19 Newport AR at 2:30 pm
- Destination: ARG Walnut Ridge AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 13,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:51 pm from JBR, 29 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.
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.