Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
San Angelo, Texas 76904
Wednesday, June 28, 1995 21:28 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT ELECTED TO DEPART ON A NIGHT CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT AFTER RECEIVING TWO WEATHER BRIEFINGS ADVISING OF CURRENT THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY NEAR THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. WITNESSES AT THE AIRPORT DESCRIBED THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AS MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN, STRONG GUSTY WINDS, VISIBILITY OF 5 MILES OR LESS WITH MULTIPLE LIGHTNING STRIKES OCCURRING IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE AIRPORT. A WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE TAKEOFF, TURN DOWNWIND, AND THEN ENTER 'AN ABRUPT DESCENT AND EXPLODE ON IMPACT.' RADAR DATA REVEALED THE AIRPLANE WAS AIRBORNE FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 MINUTES. THE CREW OF A HELICOPTER WHICH PARTICIPATED IN THE SEARCH FOR THE AIRPLANE REPORTED THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS 'IN A VERY DARK AREA WITH HARDLY ANY GROUND LIGHTS' AND REPORTED DIFFICULTY IN SEEING OUTSIDE THEIR AIRCRAFT 'DUE TO THE DARKNESS OF THE NIGHT.' EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL EVIDENCE OF ANY STRUCTURAL OR MECHANICAL ANOMALIES. THE PILOT HAD 1.5 HOURS TOTAL INSTRUMENT TIME AND 10.8 HOURS TOTAL NIGHT TIME.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S DECISION TO ATTEMPT FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND HIS LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: CONDITIONS OF DARKNESS, THUNDERSTORM AND LIGHTNING, AND THE PILOT'S LACK INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/28/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 2128 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | SAN ANGELO |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 76904 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 130 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2119 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 310 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SJT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1916 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 7500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 23 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 34 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| 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) | 1044 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 29 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 50 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:19PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N759NU |
| NTSB Number | FTW95FA261 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 182Q |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 182Q |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18266134 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2950 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 21 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 70 |
| Airframe Hours | 2816 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JAYESH S. DAVE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 603 CACTUS BEND DR. |
| Aircraft Owner City | PFLUGERVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 78660 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | AIR CENTER II, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 811 E DESSAU RD, #202 |
| Operator City | AUSTIN |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 78753 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | SJT |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2125 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 3R3 |
| Destination City | AUSTIN |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| 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 | -- |