Grumman G1159 accident near Little Rock, Arkansas, January 19, 1990
On January 19, 1990 at about 11:09 pm local time, a Grumman G1159, registered N46TE, was destroyed in an accident near Little Rock, Arkansas (Adams Field). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 7 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO FOLLOW IFR PROCEDURES (MAINTAIN AN ILS GLIDE PATH OR INITIATE A MISSED APPROACH) DURING AN IFR ARRIVAL TO THE AIRPORT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: UNFAVORABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AN ERRONEOUS WIND INDICATION FROM THE LOW LEVEL WINDSHEAR ALERT SYSTEM (LLWAS), WHICH RESULTED IN AN INACCURATE WEATHER (WIND) OBSERVATION, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOTS TO TAKE ADEQUATE REMEDIAL ACTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 19, 1990 · about 11:09 pm local time
- Place
- Little Rock, Arkansas · Adams Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 7 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G1159 · all G1159s on the register
- Registration
- N46TE · registry record · serial 0243
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG ARRIVAL, HVY RAIN SHOWERS WERE RPRTD WEST OF ARPT. AT THE ARPT, THE WX WAS ABT 200' OBSCD WITH FOG & DRIZZLE, WND WAS EASTERLY AT 5 TO 7 KTS. THE PLTS INTENDED TO LND ON RWY 22, BUT AFTER BEING TOLD THE WND WAS GSTG TO 27 KTS, THEY ELECTED TO LND ON RWY 4. THE ACTUAL WND WAS NOT GSTY. THE ERRONEOUS GST INDCN WAS FM A MALFUNCTION OF THE LLWAS. ON FINAL APCH FOR AN ILS RWY 4 APCH, THE FLT WAS ADZD THE WND WAS FM 030 DEG AT 5 KTS & THE RVR WAS 1800 FT. MIN RVR FOR THE APCH WAS 2400'. THE CREW ACKNOWLEDGED; 22 SEC LTR, THE ELT ACTVTD AS THE ACFT TOUCHED DWN 1600' SHRT OF RWY 4 & HIT APCH LGTG SYS, RAILROAD TRACKS & A FENCE. INV REVEALED THE ACFT DSCNDD THRU WINDSHEAR. WHILE MNVRG ONTO FINAL APCH; GND SPD VARIED BTN 320 & 190 KTS AS ACFT WAS MNVRD THRU TAILWIND TO HEADWIND NR FAF. CVR DATA VERIFIED A DELAY IN DSCNT FM 4000' TO 1900' BFR RCHG FAF & THAT THE GEAR WARNING HORN SOUNDED BFR EXTN OF GEAR & SPD BRAKES. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF LOW ENG RPM DRG IMPACT, BUT NO PREIMPACT MECH PRBLM WAS FND. EACH PLT HAD OVER 10,000 HRS OF FLT TIME, BUT ONLY ABT 160 HRS EACH IN JET 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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,609 hours in all; 160 in this make and model; 180 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,812 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 10, 1990; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 65,600 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce SPEY 511-8 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: GGG Longview TX at 10:30 pm
- Destination: LIT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 4, 7,173 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:15 pm from LIT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.