Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Piedras Negras Mexico
Tuesady, October 31, 1995 20:50 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

On October 31, 1995, at 2050 central daylight time, a Cessna 208B, Mexican registration XASVM, was destroyed upon impact with terrain while on approach to the Piedras Negras Regional Airport, near Piedras Negras, Coahila, Mexico. The airline transport rated pilot and 8 of the passengers were fatally injured, while 2 of his passengers escaped with serious injuries. The airplane,owned by Western Aircraft Maintenance, of Boise, Idaho, and operated by Transportes Aereos de Coahila S.A., of Saltillo, Coahila, Mexico, was operated as a scheduled commuter airline under Mexico's equivelant of Title 14 CFR Part 135. The flight originated in Saltillo, Mexico, at 1843. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed throughout the area for the scheduled commuter flight for which an IFR flight plan was filed. According to the operator, the pilot filed an IFR flight plan for a 1910 departure, requesting 16,000 feet MSL, via direct Monterrey, direct Coahila, with an estimated time en route of one hour and 20 minutes. The pilot estimated in his flight plan a fuel endurance of 4 hours. While 80 miles from the destination airport, the pilot contacted the tower at the Piedras Negras Airport, and was informed that the airport was closed due to inclement weather, wihich was reported as sky obscured, visibility zero, with fog and drizzle. The airport was served with an NDB. No published approach are available for the airport;however, several local pilots confirmed that a local non-approved instrument procedure had been devised by local pilots. A handwritten appraoch chart for the NDB approach was found by the Mexican authorities in the cockpit area of the wreckage. Ground scars found near the initial point of impact are consistednt with the previously reported NDB procedure for the airplane. The flaps were found extended to the approach configuration.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/31/1995
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 2050
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City PIEDRAS NEGRAS
Event State --
Event Country MEXICO
Zipcode of the event site 00000
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 10
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 Unknown
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2039
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID MMP
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Not Reported
Lowest Ceiling Height 100
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
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 9
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 2
Injury Total All 11
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 7000
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Nov 1 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 630
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information
Date of most recent change to record Jan 28 2003 5:23PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\ZUZL
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number --
NTSB Number FTW96RA037
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Non-U.S., Commercial
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Unknown
Aircraft Explosion Unknown
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 208B
Aircraft Series Identifier 208B
Aircraft Serial Number
Certified Max Gross Weight --
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class Unknown
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft --
Number of Engines --
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 Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name
Aircraft Owner Street Address
Aircraft Owner City
Aircraft Owner State
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name --
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address AEROPUERTO DE SALTILLO
Operator City SALTILLO
Operator State MX
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 00000
Operator Code TACA
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 Scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Unknown
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code MMIO
Departure City SALTILLO
Departure State MX
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code MPG
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Oct 22 2001 3:26PM
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 --