Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Tucumcari Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Tucumcari, New Mexico 88401
Wednesday, November 27, 1996 12:24 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Due to en route weather, the noninstrument-rated pilot decided to land at an en route airport. During the descent to the airport, the pilot reported a loss of engine power. The passenger stated that the airplane 'appeared to be gliding down toward a field and then it started to spin out of control.' A witness observed the airplane at 150 to 200 feet AGL with the left wing low, then perpendicular to the sky, followed by a nose low impact' short of the runway in flat terrain. Maintenance records did not reveal any uncorrected maintenance defects. Flight control continuity was confirmed. The right rear forward facing seat was found detached from the cabin floor where the nut plates pulled through the floor. Prescription and nonprescription drugs were found in the aircraft, and the toxicology was positive for Verapamil, a high blood pressure medication that may be approved by FAA for use by pilots; however, the FAA records did not indicate that the pilot had requested approval to use the drug. An engine test that was run to full throttle did not reveal any discrepancies that would have contributed to a total loss of engine power.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/27/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1224 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | TUCUMCARI |
| Event State | NEW MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 88401 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | TUCUMCARI MUNICIPAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | TCC |
| 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 | 4063 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1254 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 80 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TCC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4063 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 10000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 30 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 4 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 0 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 210 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1699 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 27 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1425 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:27AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N48PD |
| NTSB Number | FTW97FA049 |
| 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 | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | A36TC |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | A36TC |
| Aircraft Serial Number | EA-75 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3650 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 1 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 112 |
| Airframe Hours | 2508 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DESERT AERO, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4596 OLD POND ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | PLANO |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 75024 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | THOMAS B. BREWSTER |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| 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 | ADS |
| Departure City | ADDISON |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 936 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | TCC |
| 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 | 4600 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |