Cessna 182M accident near Mountain Home, Arkansas, April 23, 1986
On April 23, 1986 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182M, registered N71551, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mountain Home, Arkansas (Valley airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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
- April 23, 1986 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mountain Home, Arkansas · Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182M · all 182Ms on the register
- Registration
- N71551 · registry record · serial 18259662
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED DURING A HARD LANDING. THE PLT STATED THAT HIS ORIGINAL DESTINATION WAS GASTONS ARPT, LAKEVIEW, AR, WHICH HAS A TURF RWY. THERE ARE THREE OTHER ARPTS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO GASTONS, BUT ALL HAVE PAVED RWYS. HE FURTHER STATED THAT AS HE ARRIVED IN THE AREA, HE WAS DISORIENTED ABOUT WHICH ARPT WAS THE CORRECT ONE. HE CHOSE VALLEY, A PRIVATE ARPT WITH A PAVED EAST-WEST RUNWAY. SURFACE WINDS WERE REPORTEDLY FROM THE SOUTHEST AT ELEVEN KNOTS.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 169 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 103 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,682 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 4, 1986; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mt.Horeb Flying Club, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: MSN Madison WI at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 9, 2,800 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:48 pm from LIT, 98 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 MKC86LA096.