Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Moriarty Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Moriarty, New Mexico 87035
Monday, February 3, 1997 16:30 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was observed beginning the takeoff roll on runway 26 (elevation 6,201 ft, density altitude 7,000 ft) with winds from the WNW at 10 knots gusting to 25 knots with moderate turbulence. The next morning, an instructor spotted the accident site 1/2 mile south of the airport. The airplane came to rest in a nose low attitude with the empennage folded and twisted to the right. No preimpact discrepancies were found that would have precluded engine and propeller operation. The elevator bellcrank was partially fractured and the elevator was jammed in the full down position. NTSB Metallurgists reported that the bellcrank showed only signs of overstress and no signs of fatigue. The pilot had 4.5 hrs in this make and model. The pilot's toxicological findings were: 0.293 ug/ml Fluoxetine (prescription antidepressant) and 0.333 ug/ml Norfluoxetine (Fluoxetine metabolite) in blood, Nordiazepam in blood and urine, and Oxazepam and Temazepam in urine. Nordiazepam, Oxazepam and Temazepam are metabolites of Diazepam (Valium). None of the drugs are approved by the FAA for use while flying.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maitain airspeed resulting in an inadvertent stall/spin. Factors were gusty winds, turbulence, a high density altitude, and the pilot's lack of total experience in the make and model of aircraft.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/3/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1630 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | MORIARTY |
| Event State | NEW MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 87035 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | MORIARTY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 030 |
| 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 | 6201 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 10 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 20 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 7000 |
| 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) | 381 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 4 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1330 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:07PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N31794 |
| NTSB Number | FTW97FA099 |
| 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 | Aeronca |
| Aircraft Model | 65-TC |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 65-TC |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 6640T |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1150 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 20 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 6 |
| Airframe Hours | 2267 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WILLIAM A. ESSENBURG |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 415 E. SOUTH STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | VIROQUA |
| Aircraft Owner State | WI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 54665 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | WILLIAM A. ESSENBURG |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 415 E. SOUTH STREET |
| Operator City | VIROQUA |
| Operator State | WI |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 54665 |
| 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 | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1630 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | TCC |
| Destination City | TUCUMCARI |
| Destination State | NM |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| 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 | 7700 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |