Piper PA-28-180 accident near Stuttgart, Arkansas, December 27, 1984
On December 27, 1984 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N2320T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stuttgart, Arkansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. 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
- December 27, 1984 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Stuttgart, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N2320T · registry record · serial 28-7105224
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PLT STATED HE HAD ATTEMPTED AN NDB APPROACH TO RWY 18 BUT EXECUTED A MISSED APPROACH WHEN HE COULD NOT SEE THE RWY WHEN THE ACFT WAS AT 800 FT. THE PLT PITCHED THE ACFT TO A CLIMB ATTITUDE AND ADDED FULL THROTTLE. HE CONTINUED TO STATE THAT THE ACFT FELT 'STRANGE AND MUSHY' WHILE IN A LEFT TURN. THE PLT ROLLED THE WINGS LEVEL AND NOTICED A DROP IN AIRSPEED FROM 100 MPH TO 80. THE POST CRASH EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE OF THE ACFT STRUCTURE, FLT CONTROLS OR ENGINE. THE TEMP & DUE POINT WERE 60 & 59 DEG, RESPECTIVELY. ACCORDING TO ICING PROBABILITY CHARTS, SERIOUS CARB ICING COULD OCCUR AT CRUISE OR GLIDE POWER. THE PLT STATED THAT HE NEVER OPERATED THE CARB HEAT CONTROL DURING THE APPROACH.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,807 hours in all; 145 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 4,387 as pilot in command; 216 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,965 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1984; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,175 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M42 Grenada MS at 8:20 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded at 200 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from PBF, 32 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 N2320T 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.