Piper PA-31 accident near Bentonville, Arkansas, February 8, 1985
On February 8, 1985 at about 11:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-31, registered N27743, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bentonville, Arkansas (Bentonville Muni airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 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 8, 1985 · about 11:05 pm local time
- Place
- Bentonville, Arkansas · Bentonville Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31 · all PA-31s on the register
- Registration
- N27743 · no longer on the register · serial 317812112
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE LANDING APPROACH, THE PLT STATED, HE PROBABLY FORGOT TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR. INSPECTION OF THE ACFT REVEALED NO MECHANICAL PROBLEM WITH THE LANDING GEAR EXTENSION OR RETRACTION MECHANISM. A TEST OF THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM SHOWED IT TO WORK PROPERLY. AN INSPECTION OF THE GEAR SHOWED IT TO BE IN THE UP AND LOCKED POSITION.
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: airplane
- Flight time: 21,900 hours in all; 150 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,114 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 27, 1984; 208 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-F2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PBF Pine Bluff AR at 10:00 pm
- Destination: H00 Bentonville AR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17, 4,090 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from FYV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.