Aero Commander 690A accident near Pea Ridge, Arkansas, December 21, 1984
On December 21, 1984 at about 1:20 am local time, a Aero Commander 690A, registered N9229Y, was destroyed in an accident near Pea Ridge, Arkansas (Field Municipal-Carter). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 21, 1984 · about 1:20 am local time
- Place
- Pea Ridge, Arkansas · Field Municipal-Carter · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 690A · all 690As on the register
- Registration
- N9229Y · registry record · serial 11122
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PLT WAS CLEARED FOR VOR/DME APPROACH TO ROGERS ARPT BY FAYETTEVILLE APCH CONTROL; FAYETTEVILLE ALTIMETER SETTING OF 29.85 (CONFIRMED BY RECORDED TRANSCRIPT) FURNISHED. PLT DID NOT READ BACK. DURING APCH, ACFT IMPACTED TREES 25 FT AGL AT APRX 1320 FT MSL, 3 MILES SHORT OF ARPT. INVESTIGATION SHOWED PLT'S ALTIMETER SET AT 30.14 (ALTIMETER WOULD READ 290 FT HIGHER THAN ACFT ACTUAL ALTITUDE). PLT'S RECALL WAS THAT THE 30.14 SETTING WAS FURNISHED BY APCH CONTROL. PLT FURTHER STATED LAST RECALLED ALTITUDE READING WAS 1750 FT. APCH PLATE SHOWS 1700 FT MDA WITH ROGERS ALTIMETER SETTING; INCREASE MDA BY 100 FT IF USING FAYETTEVILLE SETTING.
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; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 105 in the last 90 days; 4,900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,857 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, July 11, 1984; 87 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,250 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE3315251K (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Northwest Air Charter
The flight
- Departed from: BTR Baton Rouge LA at 11:35 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 060° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from FYV, 25 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.
Other NTSB records under N9229Y the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MKC85FA037.