Aviat A1 accident near Bentonville, Arkansas, September 12, 2018
On September 12, 2018 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 2006 Aviat A1, registered N868X, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Bentonville, Arkansas (Bentonville Muni/Louise M Thad airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during an attempted go-around after the airplane bounced, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 2018 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bentonville, Arkansas · Bentonville Muni/Louise M Thad · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat A1 B, built 2006
- Registration
- N868X · registry record · serial 2351
- 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, during landing, the tailwheel-equipped airplane bounced. The airplane then bounced again twice and veered left of the centerline, and he applied "stick back" to pin the tail down. He then applied full throttle to go around but did not relieve the back pressure on the stick. Subsequently, the airplane pitched up in a "very high" angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and spin and subsequent impact with the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during approach (VFR go-around)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 150.3 hours in all; 20.2 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 10.5 in the last 30 days; 57.2 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 9, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,513.6 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 24, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1D6 (piston); 1,514 hours total
- Operator: Summit Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: VBT Bentonville AR at 11:15 pm
- Destination: VBT Bentonville AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,426 ft by 65 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft; scat at 4,400 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from KVBT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Picture | 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.