Piper PA-23-250 accident near Hot Springs, Arkansas, February 20, 1985
On February 20, 1985 at about 4:14 am local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N104JK, was destroyed in an accident near Hot Springs, Arkansas (Memorial airport). It was an executive or corporate 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
- February 20, 1985 · about 4:14 am local time
- Place
- Hot Springs, Arkansas · Memorial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N104JK · registry record · serial 27-74-5471
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PILOT HAD BEEN CLEARED FOR AN ILS APPROACH TO HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS. AFTER HE CROSSED THE INITIAL APPROACH FIX, HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO CLIMB BACK ABOVE THE CLOUDS FOR JUST A SECOND. HE CLIMBED 500 FEET IN THE NEXT 12 SECONDS, THEN STARTED A FAST DESCENT. THE LAST TWO RADAR HITS WERE ALMOST SUPERIMPOSED. THERE WAS A POST IMPACT FIRE.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: helicopter
- Flight time: 742 hours in all; 94 in this make and model; 196 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 614 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,162 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 1984; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TI0-540 C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ADH Ada OK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 5, 6,956 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:47 am from HOT, 16 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.