Cessna 172 accident near Hardy, Arkansas, May 27, 1984
On May 27, 1984 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N6297E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hardy, Arkansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. 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
- May 27, 1984 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hardy, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N6297E · no longer on the register · serial 46397
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES DURING AN OFF ARPT PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. THE PLT RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING THAT FORECASTED LOW CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES ALONG HIS ROUTE. THE PLT ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLT. DURING THE FLT HE ENCOUNTERED FOG. HE MADE A 180 AND ENCOUNTERED RAIN AND LOW FOG. HE ELECTED TO MAKE AN OFF ARPT LANDING.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 266 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 234 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,478 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,075 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: JBR Jonesboro AR at 8:58 pm
- Destination: 1H5 Willow Springs MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,800 ft; scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 9°F (-13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.