Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Texhoma, Texas 73949
Thursday, June 3, 1993 21:40 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT WAS FERRYING THE AGRICULTURAL AIRPLANE BACK TO HOME BASE ON A DARK NIGHT FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF UNSCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AT A NEARBY AIRPORT. HE FLEW INTO IMC 10 MILES SHORT OF HIS DESTINATION. A MAGNETIC COMPASS AND THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR WERE THE ONLY FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS INSTALLED ON THE AIRPLANE. CONTROL WAS LOST AFTER THE PILOT EXPERIENCED SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE TERRAIN AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUTE IN A RIGHT 90 DEGREE BANK. A PILOT AT THE POINT OF DEPARTURE REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE HEADED INTO AN ANVIL TYPE CUMULONIMBUS CLOUD WITH SEVERE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. FACTORS WERE THE WEATHER, THE DARK NIGHT, THE AIRPLANE'S LACK OF FLIGHT AND NAVIGATIONAL EQUIPMENT, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/3/1993
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 2140
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City TEXHOMA
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 73949
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 6
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 Witness
Time of the weather observation 2140 Central Daylight Time
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 CDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
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) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0.25
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 140
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 15
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
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) 825
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 4 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 735
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N57592
NTSB Number FTW93FA176
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 PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-36-285
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-36-285
Aircraft Serial Number 36-7560125
Certified Max Gross Weight 3900
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 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Feb 9 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 75
Airframe Hours 2747
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name B & B FLYING SERVICE
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O BOX 247
Aircraft Owner City TEXHOMA
Aircraft Owner State OK
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 73949
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 QYBG
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Agriculture
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) Ferry
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code BGD
Departure City BORGER
Departure State TX
Departure Country
Departure Time 2105
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
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 --