Cessna 310I accident near Fayetteville, Arkansas, April 4, 1984
On April 4, 1984 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Cessna 310I, registered N8156M, was destroyed in an accident near Fayetteville, Arkansas (Drake Field). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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 4, 1984 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Fayetteville, Arkansas · Drake Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310I · all 310Is on the register
- Registration
- N8156M · no longer on the register · serial 310I0156
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHEN THE PLT RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING AT 1012 CST, HE WAS ADVISED THAT THE WX AT HIS DESTINATION (FAYETTEVILLE, AR) WAS AN ESTIMATED 600' OVERCAST, VIS 4 MI WITH LIGHT DRIZZLE & FOG, BUT THE WX WAS FORCAST TO BEGIN TO IMPROVE IN ABOUT 1 HR.HE TOOK OFF & DURING ARRIVAL AT 1123, THE PLT WAS ADVISED THAT 2 PREVIOUS ACFT HAD MADE MISSED APPROACHES. AT 1139:17, HE WAS CLEARED FOR AN ILS APCH & INSTRUCTED TO REPORT OVER THE OUTER MARKER (OM). AT 1141:08, THE PLT REPORTED DEPARTINGTHE ELMIE INTERSECTION, 6.9 MI FROM THE OM. AT 1145:21, THE TOWER CLEARED THE ACFT TO LAND & REMINDED THE PLT TO REPORT AT THE OM. THE PLT RESPONDED, 'WAITING FOR IT.' ABOUT 30 SEC LATER, TOWER ASKED THE PLT TO REPORT IS POSITION, BUT THEREWAS NO REPLY. LATER, THE ACFT WAS FOUND WERE IT HAD CRASHED ON RISING TERRAIN (ELEV 1960') ALONG THE EXTENDED CENTERLINEOF RWY 16, ABOUT 7 MI SSE OF THE ARPT. THE MDA FOR THE APCH WAS 1800' (549' AGL). THE MARKER BEACON SW WAS FOUND IN THE OFF POSITION & THE GEAR & FLAPS WERE EXTENDED. THE ARPT ELEV WAS 1251' & ITS WX WAS: 500' OVC, 3 MI VIS, DRIZZLE, FOG.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,007 hours in all; 77 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 3,543 as pilot in command; 423 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,221 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 14, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LIT Little Rock AR
- Destination: FYV Fayetteville AR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 16, 6,006 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft; not recorded at 500 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from FYV, 7 miles away
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.