Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wichita Falls, Texas 76301
Thursday, March 3, 1994 20:55 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE AIRPLANE WAS AT AN IFR ASSIGNED ALTITUDE OF 8,000 FEET ON A DARK VMC NIGHT, WHEN ATC REPORTED THAT THEY WERE NO LONGER RECEIVING THEIR TRANSPONDER. THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THEY WERE EXPERIENCING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS IN THE COCKPIT, BUT WERE TRYING TO WORK OUT THE SITUATION. A FEW MINUTES LATER THEY LOST RADAR CONTACT AS THE AIRPLANE INITIATED A DESCENT TOWARDS A NEARBY JOINT USE MILITARY-CIVILIAN AIRPORT SERVED BY APPROACH CONTROL RADAR. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT IDENTIFIED BUT WAS TRACKED ON PRIMARY RADAR TO A POINT 2.8 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. DURING THE LAST FEW MILES OF THE FLIGHT, THE AIRPLANE WAS HEADED WESTBOUND OVER SPARSELY POPULATED RURAL AREA THAT OFFERED MINIMAL OR NO VISUAL REFERENCE IN THE DARK NIGHT. WITNESSES IN THE AREA REPORTED HEARING THE SOUND OF AIRPLANE ENGINES FOLLOWED BY THE SOUND OF IMPACT. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND INVERTED, WITH THE LANDING GEAR EXTENDED BY EMERGENCY MODE. THE LEFT GENERATOR WAS FOUND TO BE INOPERATIVE, AND THE GROUNDING WIRE FROM THE RIGHT VOLTAGE REGULATOR WAS FOUND TO HAVE A BURNED OUT TERMINAL END. THE PILOT RATED PASSENGER HAD A FLASH LIGHT IN HIS HAND.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
WAS THE LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO THE PILOT'S SPATIAL DISORIENTATION FOLLOWING A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE. FACTORS WERE THE DARK NIGHT AND THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AS RESULT OF BURNED OUT WIRING TERMINAL.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/3/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 2055 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | WICHITA FALLS |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 76301 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 156 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SPS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1015 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 4 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 18000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 25 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 96 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 4 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 250 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 25 2006 3:59PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\ZUZL |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N474AR |
| NTSB Number | FTW94FA091 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 310K |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 310K |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 310K0147 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5200 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 15 1993 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 91 |
| Airframe Hours | 5637 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WILSON, DAVID J. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 109 OAK TREE AVENUE |
| Aircraft Owner City | LEWISVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 75067 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | ARI BEN AVIATOR INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O BOX 79 |
| Operator City | ADDISON |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 75001 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | ADS |
| Departure City | DALLAS |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2005 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | APA |
| Destination City | DENVER |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |