Canadair CL-600 CHALLENGER accident near Little Rock, Arkansas, April 2, 1984
On April 2, 1984 at about 7:31 pm local time, a Canadair CL-600 CHALLENGER, registered N800CC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Little Rock, Arkansas (Adams airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 2, 1984 · about 7:31 pm local time
- Place
- Little Rock, Arkansas · Adams
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Canadair CL-600 CHALLENGER CL-600 CHA · all CL-600 CHALLENGERs on the register
- Registration
- N800CC · registry record · serial CL-600
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS ON AN FAA CERTIFICATION FLT (EXPERIMENTAL). DURING THE RECOVERY PHASE, A NON-TYPE RATED FAA PLT WAS IN THE L SEAT & THE PIC WAS IN THE R SEAT. WHILE DESCENDING, A DUCT FAIL LGT & A LEADING EDGE OVERHEAT LGT CAME ON. THE PIC TOOK CORRECTIVE ACTION. THE FAA PLT MADE AN ILS APCH TO RWY 22 WHICH WAS WET. THE APCH WAS MADE WITH THE L ENG AT HI IDLE. THE THRUST REVERSERS WERE NOT ARMED FOR THE LANDING. A TOUCHDOWN WAS MADE ABOUT 2000' DOWN THE RWY & SPOILERS WEREDEPLOYED. WHEN THE FAA PLT REALIZED HE DID NOT HAVE REVERSE THRUST, HE TRIED SLOWING THE ACFT WITH BRAKES; HOWEVER, THE L BRAKE WAS INOP. THE PIC TOOK CONTROL & CYCLED THE ANTI-SKID, BUT STILL HAD NO L BRAKING ACTION. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFTRAN OFF THE END OF THE RWY & THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED IN MUDDY TERRAIN. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT DURING MAINTEN- ANCE, THE SPEED SENSOR HARNESSES FOR THE L MAIN GEAR WERE REVERSED WHICH ELIMINATED ANY BRAKING TO THE L BRAKE WHILE THE ANTI-SKID WAS ON.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,700 hours in all; 70 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 52 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 26, 1984; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 40,400 lb
- Seats: 16
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming ALF-502L-2C (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22, 7,173 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,300 ft; scat at 800 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:31 pm from LIT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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 N800CC 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.