Lufkin Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Lufkin, Texas 75901
Monday, January 9, 1995 18:05 CST

ORIGINALLY, THE PILOT WAS ON A FLIGHT FROM CLEBURNE, TX, TO MCALLEN, TX. HOWEVER, EN ROUTE, HE BELIEVED THAT HIS NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, AND HE SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED AT MARBLE FALLS, TX. HE ELECTED TO RETURN TO CLEBURNE AT NIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER EXPERIENCING FURTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT, THE FLIGHT 'ENDED' AT LUFKIN, TX. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT, AS THE AIRPLANE WAS APPROACHING RUNWAY 25 AT THE LUFKIN AIRPORT, IT CROSSED THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD ABOUT 20 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND FLEW LEVEL DOWN THE RUNWAY CENTER LINE. ONE WITNESS OBSERVED THAT ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY, THE AIRPLANE 'DROPPED ITS LEFT WING, SPUN, AND HIT THE GROUND.' ANOTHER WITNESS STATED THAT THE 'AIRCRAFT MADE AN ABRUPT LEFT DIVE AND HIT THE GROUND.' AN EXAM OF THE AIRPLANE DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY PREACCIDENT ANOMALIES OF THE AIRFRAME, ENGINE, OR EQUIPMENT. TOXICOLOGY TESTS SHOWED THE PILOT'S BLOOD CONTAINED 0.20 MG/L (0.20 MCG/ML) OF DIAZEPAM (VALIUM), 0.55 MG/L (0.55 MCG/ML) OF NORDIAZEPAM (METABOLITE OF VALIUM), AND 6.9 MG/L (6.9 MCG/ML) OF BUTALBITAL. VALIUM IS AN ANTIANXIETY AGENT AND MUSCLE RELAXANT, AND BUTALBITAL IS A BARBITURATE/SEDATIVE. NEITHER DRUG IS APPROVED FOR USE WHILE FLYING.

THE PILOT'S IMPAIRMENT OF JUDGMENT AND PERFORMANCE DUE TO MULTIPLE DRUGS, WHICH RESULTED IN HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING THE APPROACH/FLARE FOR LANDING.