Embraer BRASILIA EMB-120 incident near Fort Smith, Arkansas, December 23, 1986
On December 23, 1986 at about 12:20 pm local time, a Embraer BRASILIA EMB-120, registered N223AS, suffered minor damage in an incident near Fort Smith, Arkansas (Fort Smith Municip airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 6 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 incident. 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 23, 1986 · about 12:20 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Smith, Arkansas · Fort Smith Municip · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Embraer BRASILIA EMB-120 BRASILIA E
- Registration
- N223AS · registry record · serial 120.021
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT CREW STATED THAT THEY WERE INITIATING A DESCENT INTO FINAL APPROACH FOR A LANDING WHEN THE RIGHT ENGINE GEARBOX CHIP DETECTOR LGITH ILLUMINATED FOLLOWED BY A LOUD BANG AND SEVERE VIBRATION.WHEN THE PROPELLER WAS FEATHERED AND THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN WITH THE CONDITION LEVER THE ROTATION AND VIBRATION STOPPED, THE CREW FURTHER STATED. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. A POST-INCIDENT TEARDOWN INSPECTION OF THE POWERPLANT AT THE FACTORY REVEALED A SUDDEN AND CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE PROPELLER REDUCTION GEARBOX ASSEMBLY DUE TO A HIGH CYCLE, METAL FATIGUE FRACTURE ON ONE, OF TWO, HELICAL GEARS. TEARDOWN AND INSEPCTION OF THE PROPELLER ASSEMBLY REVEALED SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE COMPOSITE PLASTIC BLADE RETAINER RINGS AND METAL ACTUATOR YOKES DUE TO SUDDEN DECELERATION AND STOPPAGE.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,460 hours in all; 3,260 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 329 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme
- Maximum gross weight: 25,353 lb
- Seats: 32
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PW118 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FYV Fayetteville AR at 11:30 am
- Destination: FSM Fort Smith AR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 030° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:55 pm from FSM, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.