Aero Commander S2R accident near Bradley, Arkansas, March 6, 1985
On March 6, 1985 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Aero Commander S2R, registered N8909Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bradley, Arkansas. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 6, 1985 · about 9:00 pm local time · cases in 1985
- Place
- Bradley, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander S2R · all S2Rs on the register
- Registration
- N8909Q · registry record · serial 1579R
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT SAID THAT AFTER LIFTOFF THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED A GUST OF WIND AND THE ACFT SWERVED OFF THE AIRSTRIP INTO ROUGH TERRAIN.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 8,060 hours in all; 2,060 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 8,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,387 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 18, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R1340 AN-1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,500 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:46 pm from TXK, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N8909Q on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Aero Commander S2 60 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Aero Commander 709 aircraft on the register
- Engine: P&W R1340 AN-1 64 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Arkansas 1,582 since 1982 · 177 in the last ten years
- Arkansas 3,493 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/MKC85LA068.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.