North American HARVARD 2 accident near Weiner, Arkansas, April 5, 1998
On April 5, 1998 at about 6:00 pm local time, a North American HARVARD 2, registered N92871, was substantially damaged in an accident near Weiner, Arkansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from wires.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 5, 1998 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Weiner, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American HARVARD 2
- Registration
- N92871 · no longer on the register · serial 66-263
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While maneuvering in the vicinity of a local car racing drag strip, less than 1 mile from the departure runway, the airplane struck an unmarked wire. The pilot maintained control of the airplane, flew direct to an airport, and landed the airplane without further incident. The top 20 percent of the rudder had separated from the airplane and the fabric on the rudder was torn. Local authorities found a ball of wire in the engine cowling.
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: 1,200 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 1,050 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,542 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 11, 1998; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M19 Newport AR at 6:00 pm
- Destination: 8M2
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 045° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N92871 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.