What happened
On February 26, 2026, at approximately 13:30 CST, a Peck Jodel-F12, registration N30P, was destroyed in an accident near Rogers, Arkansas. The flight was being conducted under Part 91 regulations as a personal flight to relocate the aircraft from Ozark Aerodrome (AR11) to Springdale Municipal Airport (ASG) due to the upcoming closure of AR1 1 in April 2026. The aircraft had been out of service for approximately two to two and a half years, and the pilot had recently performed maintenance in preparation for this flight.
According to a witness located at a nearby private airstrip, the aircraft was heard approaching from the west with a rough-running engine, similar to a magneto issue. The witness observed the airplane flying high and fast over his property, appearing to attempt a landing. The aircraft was noted to be in a potential side slip, though the engine power did not decrease. The plane descended to approximately 25 feet above the turf runway but did not make contact with the ground. As the aircraft passed the end of the property, it began to climb and turned slightly to the right toward a south heading over Beaver Lake. During this maneuver, the right roll increased, and the aircraft entered a nose-down descent into the water.
The pilot sustained 1 fatal injury.