Mustang Beach Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Port Aransas, Texas 78372
Sunday, May 1, 1983 20:50 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING A WX BRIEFING, THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT WAS TOLD TO EXPECT NO SIGNIFICANT EN ROUTE WX, BUT WAS ADVISED OF LOWER CEILINGS ALONG THE COASTLINE, LATER THAT NIGHT. THERE WERE NO RECORDS OF EN ROUTE WX BRIEFINGS. WHEN THE ACFT WAS ABOUT 40 MI NORTHWEST OF THE DESTINATION, THE PLT CONTACTED CORPUS CHRISTI APCH CONTROL & WAS ADVISED OF IFR WX IN THE VICINITY. HE REQUESTED & WAS PROVIDED RADAR VECTORS TO HIS DESTINATION, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN FINDING THE ARPT. THE PLT THEN REPORTED THAT HE WAS 'UNABLE TO GET DOWN' & REQUESTED VECTORS TO CORPUS CHRISTI. HE WAS AGAIN ADVISED OF IFR CONDITIONS AT CORPUS CHRISTI. WHEN ASKED IF HE COULD FLY AN IFR APCH, HE GAVE A NEGATIVE REPLY. HE ALSO REPORTED THAT HE WAS IN IFR CONDITIONS & HAD INSUFFICIENT FUEL TO FLY TO SAN ANTONIO. SUBSEQUENTLY, RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST APRX 2 MI SOUTHEAST OF THE ARPT. LATER, BOTH OCCUPANTS & ACFT DEBRIS WERE FOUND WHERE THE HAD WASHED ON OR NEAR THE SHORE FORM THE GULF OF MEXICO.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/1/1983
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 2050
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City PORT ARANSAS
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 78372
Event Date Year 1983
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport MUSTANG BEACH
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 2R8
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 2
Degrees magnetic from airport 115
Airport Elevation 5
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2056 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 235
Weather Observation Facility ID NGP
Elevation of weather observation facility 19
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 13
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 700
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 600
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 3
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 24
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 22
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 170
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 20
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 26
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1770
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 22041
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N34581
NTSB Number FTW83LA215
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 177B
Aircraft Series Identifier 177B
Aircraft Serial Number 17701886
Certified Max Gross Weight 2500
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name BILL MURRAY & LOIL BALLENTINE
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3955 N. CHADBOURNE
Aircraft Owner City SAN ANGELO
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 76901
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code SJT
Departure City SAN ANGELO
Departure State TX
Departure Country
Departure Time 1750
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 30
Runway Length 3500
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --