Grant County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Silver City, New Mexico 88061
Saturday, July 15, 1995 10:40 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT WAS MAKING TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS. DURING THE FINAL APPROACH, THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO INCREASE ITS ANGLE OF DESCENT AND CRASH 240 FEET SHORT OF THE RUNWAY INTO THE APPROACH LIGHTS. AFTER GOING THROUGH FIVE ROWS OF LIGHTS, THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE WITH THE ENGINE OPERATING AND THEN CRASHED INTO THE GROUND NEXT TO A TAXIWAY. THE FIRST PERSONS ON THE SCENE FOUND THE PILOT SLUMPED OVER IN THE COCKPIT WITH NO OBVIOUS SIGNS OF INJURY, AND EFFORTS AT RESUSCITATION WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE PILOT HAD A HISTORY OF HEART DISEASE. THE AUTOPSY REVEALED AN ADVANCED GENERALIZED ARTERIOSCLEROTIC CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, BUT NO LETHAL INJURIES. HIS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE ISSUED 5/17/93 HAD EXPIRED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

PILOT INCAPACITATION DUE TO A HEART ATTACK.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/15/1995
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1040
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City SILVER CITY
Event State NEW MEXICO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 88061
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport GRANT COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID SVC
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 5443
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1056 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 150
Weather Observation Facility ID DMN
Elevation of weather observation facility 4309
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 37
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 8000
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) 60
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 16
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 14
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 300
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 4600
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 928
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 15 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1735
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 7 2000 4:25PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N826DB
NTSB Number FTW95LA298
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BRADLEY
Aircraft Model DRAGONFLY
Aircraft Series Identifier DRAGONFLY
Aircraft Serial Number 334
Certified Max Gross Weight --
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft --
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 No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name LEONARD T. GRIFFIN
Aircraft Owner Street Address 2316 JOHNSON ROAD
Aircraft Owner City SILVER CITY
Aircraft Owner State NM
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 88061
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 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 SVC
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
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 26
Runway Length 6800
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --