- Date
- December 18, 2023, 17:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Texarkana, AR
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4104XAero Commander 100
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20231218020439A
- Case key
- 193544
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s improper decision to attempt a go-around with full flaps extended, which resulted in decreased climb performance and led to a collision with trees.
Findings · 6
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor, who was at the flight controls, and the student pilot departed runway 31 and entered the left traffic pattern. The instructor reported that during the pattern, he lost situational awareness and aligned the airplane on final approach for runway 4 with full flaps extended. Upon realizing his error, he applied full power and turned right to enter the downwind for runway 31, but he did not retract the flaps. The airplane was unable to climb and impacted a heavily wooded area. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, vertical stabilizer, and horizontal stabilizer. The flight instructor reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4104X
- Reported as
- Aero Commander 100
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 201
- Built
- 1968
- Airframe hours
- 2,066
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 15, 2023
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- TXK · Texarkana
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 74
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 30, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 1,394 total · 8 in this make and model · 1,114 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 17
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 7 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- KTXK
- METAR
- KTXK 182348Z 34005KT 10SM CLR 12/M05 A3022
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 12, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.