Piper PA-28-140 accident near Morrilton, Arkansas, February 27, 1984
On February 27, 1984 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N56255, was substantially damaged in an accident near Morrilton, Arkansas (Petit Jean airport). It was a positioning 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 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
- February 27, 1984 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Morrilton, Arkansas · Petit Jean · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N56255 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7325595
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT LOST POWER DURING INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF AT ABOUT 75 FT AGL. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN THE TREES. THE ACFT WAS EXAMINED AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND NO FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS NOTED. THE EXISTING TEMPERATURE AND DEWPOINT WERE IN CARBURETOR ICING CONDITION RANGE. THE PLT SAID THE CARBURETOR HEAT CONTROL WAS IN THE COLD POSITION FOR TAKEOFF.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,090 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 139 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 870 as pilot in command; 20 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,174 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 2, 1983; 74 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: LIT Little Rock AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 5,980 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 14 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft; scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:25 pm from LIT, 43 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 N56255 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.