Event CEN13LA237

Factual narrative

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn April 22, 2013, about 1117 central daylight time, an Alon A2 airplane, N6369V, was destroyed after impact with terrain at Arkavalley Airport (12A), Greenbrier, Arkansas. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, with no flight plan filed. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which originated from the Dennis F. Cantrell Airport (KCWS), Conway, Arkansas at 1055. According to a witness, the pilot attempted two landings on Runway 18, touching down briefly on each attempt and then performing a go-around. On the third landing attempt, the airplane touched down, bounced, and began to porpoise. About 1000 feet after the first bounce, the airplane departed the left side of the runway and subsequently struck a culvert. As the pilot initiated a go around, the airplane became airborne and impacted a tree to the left of the runway. The airplane subsequently impacted terrain and a post impact fire ensued, consuming the majority of the airplane. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot, age 81, held a commercial pilot license with airplane single-engine land and instrument ratings. On September 21, 2011, the pilot was issued a limited Class 3 limited medical certificate, which required corrective lenses be worn. At the time of exam, the pilot reported a total 1900 flight hours, with zero flight hours in the last six months. According to a friend of the pilot, it has been about 20 years since he had flown regularly. The pilot had recently purchased the accident airplane and traveled to North Carolina to ferry it back to Arkansas. In conjunction with picking up the airplane, the pilot completed a biennial flight review on April 20, 2013 at the Harnett County Airport (KHRJ), Erwin, North Carolina. During this flight review, the flight instructor stated the pilot flew fairly well and safely, but not great. The flight instructor recommended to the pilot that he obtain additional flight instruction after returning to Arkansas. The flight instructor was concerned with the pilot becoming fatigued during his return flights to Arkansas. The flight instructor discussed appropriate rest periods with the pilot, who chose to stop and remain overnight during his return trip. The flight instructor was unaware of the pilot's home airport and there was no discussion of approach/landing considerations at the Arkavalley Airport. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONThe accident airplane, an Alon A2 (serial number A-45) was manufactured in 1965. It was registered with the Federal Aviation Administration on a standard airworthiness certificate for normal operations. The airplane had a total time of 3,654 hours as of the last annual inspection, which was completed on November 2, 2012. The airplane was equipped with a Continental C90 series engine. As of the last annual inspection, the engine had accumulated a total of 1,661 hours, with 287 hours since last major overhaul. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONThe weather station at Little Rock Air Force Base (KLRF), located about 18 miles southeast of the accident site, reported the following conditions at 1158: wind 150 at 7 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 21 degrees Celsius, dew point 8 degrees Celsius, altimeter setting 30.14. AIRPORT INFORMATIONThe accident airplane, an Alon A2 (serial number A-45) was manufactured in 1965. It was registered with the Federal Aviation Administration on a standard airworthiness certificate for normal operations. The airplane had a total time of 3,654 hours as of the last annual inspection, which was completed on November 2, 2012. The airplane was equipped with a Continental C90 series engine. As of the last annual inspection, the engine had accumulated a total of 1,661 hours, with 287 hours since last major overhaul. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONThe airplane came to rest about 200 feet beyond the tree strike, facing southeast. The majority of the airplane was consumed by fire. Federal Aviation Administration personnel confirmed flight control continuity on scene. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATIONOn April 24, 2013, an autopsy was performed on the pilot by a medical examiner at the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory. The cause of death was attributed to smoke and soot inhalation. The FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicology tests on the pilot. The test was negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and tested drugs. According to a friend, the pilot had not flown regularly for about 20 years. However, the pilot had recently purchased an airplane and passed a biennial flight review. The flight instructor who conducted the flight review recommended to the pilot that he obtain additional flight instruction. The accident pilot then departed the location of the review to ferry the airplane to his home. A witness reported that, once the pilot reached the destination airport, the first two landing attempts were unstable, and the pilot initiated go-arounds each time. During the third landing, the airplane bounced and began to porpoise, and it then departed the left side of the runway and impacted a culvert. The pilot initiated a third go-around, during which, the airplane struck a tree and impacted terrain. A 131-foot ridge was located about 1,000 feet ahead of the approach end of the runway. Further, the runway was relatively narrow (about 40 feet) with a downslope. The combination of these factors created a challenging runway environment. It is likely that the pilot did not properly flare the airplane and then recover from the bounced landing due to his limited recent flying experience and proficiency. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Landing flare-Incorrect use/operation - C
• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
• F Personnel issues-Experience/knowledge-Experience/qualifications-Recent experience-Pilot - F
• F Personnel issues-Task performance-Workload management-Task overload-Pilot - F
• F Environmental issues-Operating environment-Airport facilities/design-(general)-Effect on operation - F