Beech A23-24 accident near Russellville, Arkansas, July 10, 1987
On July 10, 1987 at about 2:30 am local time, a Beech A23-24, registered N3604Q, was destroyed in an accident near Russellville, Arkansas (Russellville Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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
- July 10, 1987 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Russellville, Arkansas · Russellville Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A23-24 · all A23-24s on the register
- Registration
- N3604Q · registry record · serial MA242
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE NIGHT APPROACH, THE PILOT SAW THE REFLECTION OF ORANGE BALLS ON A POWERLINE. HE ADDED POWER AND WENT OVER THE POWERLINE, THEN REDUCED POWER TO LAND AND STALLED THE AIRCRAFT SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THE NOSE GEAR BROKE OFF AND THE AIRPLANE SLID 200 FEET. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SAW A SMALL FIRE UNDER THE NOSE AS THEY LEFT THE AIRPLANE. WITHIN TEN MINUTES THE AIRPLANE BURNED COMPLETELY.
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: 372 hours in all; 82 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 350 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,100 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 19, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: HOO Bentonville AR at 1:30 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 4,450 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
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.