Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Double Eagle Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87201
Wednesday, August 7, 1996 12:15 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was on the second leg of a cross-country flight, and was observed maneuvering near an airport not on his planned itinerary. The airport UNICOM was reported operational, but no radio calls were received from the airplane. Witnesses reported that the airplane executed two erratic 360-degree turns near the approach end of runways 17 and 22 at an estimated altitude of 300 feet AGL. The winds were reported in excess of 30 MPH. The wreckage was found approximately 1,100 feet short of the landing threshold for runway 22, slightly left of the extended centerline. Physical evidence and ground scars indicated that the airplane impacted the ground in a slight left turn and in a nose-low attitude. Measurement of the crush angle in the area aft of the engine compartment indicated a 25-degree nose-down attitude at impact. Examination of the airframe and powerplant at the accident site did not disclose any mechanical problems that could have prevented normal operations. The density altitude was 8,800 feet. The pilot was not restrained prior to ground impact.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering. Factors were the high winds and the high density altitude.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/7/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1215 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | ALBUQUERQUE |
| Event State | NEW MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 87201 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | DOUBLE EAGLE |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | AEG |
| 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 | 5834 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1300 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 110 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ABQ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5352 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 11 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 30 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 27 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 8800 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1134 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 7 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1420 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:17AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N353 |
| NTSB Number | FTW96FA337 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CULBERTSON |
| Aircraft Model | THORP T-18 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | THORP T-18 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 198 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1200 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 18 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 29 |
| Airframe Hours | 2114 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HOWARD C. CULBERTSON |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3408 GERALD DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | NEWBURY PARK |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 91320 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | P06 |
| Departure City | BULLHEAD CITY |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 840 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | LVS |
| Destination City | LAS VEGAS |
| Destination State | NM |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| 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 | -- |