Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Waco, Texas 76701
Thursday, September 19, 1996 5:14 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot (plt) left his residence at 0500 & flew from San Antonio to Alamogordo. On the return flight (flt), he diverted to New Braunfels, due to weather (wx). After landing, he indicated that he needed fuel, but fuel was not available until the next morning. Reportedly, he slept in the aircraft (acft). Airport (arpt) personnel noted plt had departed without refueling & without a wx briefing. No record of en route communication or refueling was found. About 0600, wreckage was sited where acft had impacted in a level attitude near Waco Regional Arpt, about 0.89 mi from the VOR. Arpt elevation was 516 ft, minimum descent altitude (MDA) for the VOR approach was 880 ft. The VOR bearing selector was found at 142 deg (inbnd course was 141 deg). Waco wx was reported to be 300' ceiling, variable 100', visibility 1/2 mi with fog. No preimpact mechanical failure was found. Propeller damage & slashes marks indicated the engines were providing power during impact. Plt had been prescribed Wellbutrin (bupropion) for depression & anxiety. Toxicology tests of his blood showed 0.11 mcg/ml bupropion (antidepressant), 0.20 mcg/ml erythrodihydrobupropion, 0.94 mcg/ml threodihydrobupropion, & an unreported amount of tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (metabolite of marijuana). Tests of his urine showed 0.118 mcg/ml Phentermine (appetite suppressant/stimulant). Plt's prescription for bupropion had been refilled on 8/28/96. His son believed he was under stress from business & finances, & probably fatigued. Plt had urgent need to be at a real estate license renewal class in Ft Worth at 0900.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
VFR flight by the pilot into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain sufficient altitude or clearance from the terrain. Factors relating to the accident were: inadequate preflight by the pilot, his failure to obtain a weather briefing, darkness, adverse weather conditions, lack of fuel to proceed to an alternate destination, pressure induced on the pilot by an urgent need to get to a real estate license renewal class, and pilot anxiety/depression.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/19/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 514 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | WACO |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 76701 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 456 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 115 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ACT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 516 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 4 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| 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) | 0.5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| 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) | 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1583 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 19 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1030 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:21AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3020T |
| NTSB Number | FTW96FA390 |
| 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 | 320C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 320C |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 320C0020 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5200 |
| 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 | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 1 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 29 |
| Airframe Hours | 2655 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TOMMY BLANKENSHIP, JR. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 6200 BEAR CREEK DRIVE EAST |
| Aircraft Owner City | FORT WORTH |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 76126 |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 3R5 |
| Departure City | NEW BRAUNFELS |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 415 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | ACT |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | TX |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |