Cessna 140 accident near Brinkley, Arkansas, March 4, 1990
On March 4, 1990 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N90061, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brinkley, Arkansas (Federer airport). It was a personal 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
RECOVERY FROM BOUNCED LANDING NOT PERFORMED AND PORPOISE ENCOUNTERED BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 4, 1990 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Brinkley, Arkansas · Federer · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N90061 · registry record · serial 9122
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SAID THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND HIS NEWLY PURCHASED TAILWHEEL ACFT, HE HIT HARD, BOUNCED, THEN LANDED HARD AGAIN. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS TORN OFF AND THE ACFT SPUN AROUND DAMAGING THE RIGHT WING. THE PLT HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 11.5 HOURS IN THIS TYPE OF TAIL WHEEL ACFT.
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: 579 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 524 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OM4 Camden TN at 7:00 pm
- Destination: M36
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 9:50 pm from LIT, 50 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 MKC90LA060.