HOT SPRINGS, Ark.—A preliminary report on a fatal plane crash near Nashville, Tenn., showed that the Arkansas pilot reported an instrument problem before the accident.

The twin-engine Beech Baron propeller plane crashed near the Nashville International Airport on Monday, killing a retail executive and the two others aboard the plane. The Federal Aviation Administration released a preliminary report on Tuesday.

Police tentatively identified the three as Greg Secrest, 67, the pilot; Rodney (Nick) Tillman, 49, and his wife, Rebecca Ann Tillman, 42, all from Hot Springs, Ark.

George Downie, airport director at Hot Springs Memorial Field where the plane took off, said the FAA took fuel samples from the truck that fueled the plane.

Downie said after checking the samples, the FAA cleared the truck to continue fueling planes.