Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Santa Catarina Mexico
Wednesday, February 5, 1997 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On January 5, 1997, at 0049 central standard time, a Beech 23, N8723M, was destroyed upon impact with wires and terrain near Santa Catarina, Mexico. The private pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was fatally injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the area of the accident. A Mexican VFR flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The flight originated at the McAllen Miller International Airport, near McAllen, Texas, at approximately 0930, with one intermediate stop made at the Reynosa International Airport (MMRX) to clear Mexican Customs and file a flight plan. The flight's destination was the Licenciado Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport (MMPR) in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
According to local authorities, the airplane was attempting to cross the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains, just west of Monterrey, Mexico, by navigating along federal highway 40 on the Huatesco Canyon. The local commander of the Mexican Judicial Police reported that the airplane impacted high tension wires crossing above the highway and subsequently impacted terrain. The commander added that fog obscured the mountain pass between the cities of Monterrey and Saltillo. A post impact fire destroyed the airplane.
The pilot received his private certificate on October 3, 1951. He served as Special Assistant to U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson when she served as Vice Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.
The ongoing investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Government of Mexico. Based on the information presently provided by the Mexican authorities, the Safety Board will participate in the investigation in a non-travel status. Hector Casanova has been appointed as Accredited Representative for the United States. Any further information may be obtained from:
Direccion General de Aviacion Civil (DGAC) Providencia 807 - Cuarto Piso Colonia del Valle 03100 Mexico, D.F., Mexico Telephone 525-762-9538
The investigator-in-charge is Comandante Francisco Franco, of the Mariano Escobedo International Airport (MMMY) in Monterrey, Mexico. Telephone 528-345-6634. This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released or obtained by the Government of Mexico.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/5/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 49 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | SANTA CATARINA |
| Event State | -- |
| Event Country | MEXICO |
| Zipcode of the event site | 00000 |
| 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 | |
| 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 | 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 | Not Reported |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| 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) | 1 |
| 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) | -- |
| 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) | 7000 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 6 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 925 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 31 2003 12:08PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\ZUZL |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8723M |
| NTSB Number | FTW97RA101 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Unknown |
| Aircraft Explosion | Unknown |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | 23 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 23 |
| 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 | 13 EAST HOLIDAY AVE. |
| Operator City | PHARR |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 78577 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | MMRX |
| Departure City | REYNOSA |
| Departure State | MX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MMPR |
| Destination City | PUERTO VALLARTA |
| Destination State | MX |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 31 2000 8:07PM |
| 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 | -- |