Alon A-2A accident near Cabot, Arkansas, August 22, 1999
On August 22, 1999, a Alon A-2A, registered N5465F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cabot, Arkansas (Red Oak Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The missing engine oil filler cap which resulted in the loss of engine power as a result of oil starvation. Factors were the pilot's improper aircraft preflight inspection and the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 1999
- Place
- Cabot, Arkansas · Red Oak Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Alon A-2A · all A-2As on the register
- Registration
- N5465F · no longer on the register · serial B265
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that prior to turning on final approach to land, the engine lost power. During the emergency landing in a field of tall grass, the airplane's tail struck a levee and the left wing struck the ground. Examination of the airplane revealed that the engine oil dipstick and cap assembly was not installed, and the forward left side of the fuselage and the windshield were covered in oil.
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: 3,200 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 3,200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,668 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 10, 1999; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90-16F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AR28
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°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.
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.