Raytheon Aircraft Company A36 accident near Lakeview, Arkansas, June 17, 2018
On June 17, 2018 at about 3:15 pm local time, a 1996 Raytheon Aircraft Company A36, registered N174DM, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Lakeview, Arkansas (Gastons airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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 extend the landing gear before landing, which resulted in a propeller strike, followed by an aborted landing and a subsequent hard, precautionary landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 2018 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeview, Arkansas · Gastons · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Raytheon Aircraft Company A36, built 1996
- Registration
- N174DM · no longer on the register · serial E-3041
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot in the retractable-landing-gear-equipped airplane reported that, during the approach, he was distracted by people that were on the runway and believed he "neglected to lower the landing gear." He added that, during landing, he thought that the propeller contacted turf, and he aborted the landing. The airplane gained altitude, and he turned right, but the airspeed did not increase like he felt that it should. Rather than continue the flight over rising terrain, he extended the landing gear and landed in a field, but the airplane landed hard. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Miscellaneous/other during approach
- Landing gear not configured during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Not used/operated
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 390 hours in all; 284 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 334 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 20, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,304 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 28, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO550B6F (piston); 1,421 hours total
- Operator: Flygare LLC
The flight
- Departed from: JWN Nashville TN at 1:00 pm
- Destination: 3M0 Lakeview AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 3,200 ft by 55 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KBPK, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 7, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.