- Date
- December 14, 1984, 16:07 local (22:07 UTC)
- Place
- Ft.Smith, AR
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N64011Cessna 180K
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19841214067889A
- Case key
- 33816
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Witnesses along the Arkansas river observed the acft flying low over the river, in a northeasterly direction. As the acft approached a set of high voltage power lines that crossed the river aprx 85 ft above the water, it banked left and the rt wing struck the lower wires. The acft impacted the water tail first and submerged. Investigation revealed that the eng and propeller sounds were normal prior to impact. Continuity of the control cables were established. Wx at the time of accident was estimated to be about 300 overcast with about 1 mi visibility.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N64011
- Reported as
- Cessna 180K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18052862
- Airframe hours
- 916
- Engine
- Continental O-470-U, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- H. Bixler Whiting
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 26, 1984 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- ROG · Rogers, AR
- Destination
- LIT · Little Rock, AR
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 50 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 46 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.