Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Clines Corners, New Mexico 87070
Tuesady, August 3, 1993 8:00 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A FLIGHT OF FOUR AIRCRAFT DEPARTED TUCUMCARI, NEW MEXICO, FOR WINSLOW, ARIZONA WITH N88PS ACTING AS FLIGHT LEAD. EN ROUTE WEATHER WAS ENCOUNTERED AND TWO OF THE NON INSTRUMENT RATED PILOTS RETURNED TO TUCUMCARI, THE ONE INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT OBTAINED AN IFR CLEARANCE AND CONTINUED THE FLIGHT. THE NON INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT OF N88PS CONTINUED IN VFR CRUISE AT A LOWER ALTITUDE. AS THE VISIBILITY WENT TO ZERO IN RAIN AND FOG, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A TRANSMISSION LINE AND DESCENDED UNCONTROLLED TO THE GROUND. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE PILOT OF N8575C HAD OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING PRIOR TO THE DEPARTURE FROM TUCUMCARI. A SEARCH BY THE FAA FLIGHT SERVICE STATIONS AND AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT OF N8575C REVEALED THAT AN OFFICIAL WEATHER BRIEFING HAD NOT BEEN OBTAINED. AREA FORECAST FOR PORTIONS OF ARIZONA AND NEW NEXICO INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS AND RAIN SHOWERS. THE NEAREST WEATHER REPORTING STATION AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS LAS VEGAS, NEW MEXICO, WITH A CEILING OF 200 FEET OVERCAST AND A VISIBILITY OF ONE MILE WITH LIGHT RAIN AND FOG. LOCAL AUTHORIITES AT THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED THE VISIBILITY LESS THAN 1/8 MILE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE. FACTORS WERE FOG, RAIN, AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEF.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/3/1993
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 800
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City CLINES CORNERS
Event State NEW MEXICO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 87070
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 8
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 852 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 20
Weather Observation Facility ID LSV
Elevation of weather observation facility 6874
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 25
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 200
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 200
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 14
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 14
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 110
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Light
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1072
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 3 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2020
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:34PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N88PS
NTSB Number FTW93LA226
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 SUKANE
Aircraft Model KR-2
Aircraft Series Identifier KR-2
Aircraft Serial Number 842-A
Certified Max Gross Weight 1065
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
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 Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Feb 27 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 278
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name SUKANE, PAUL S.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 6474 BRAYTON AVENUE
Aircraft Owner City LONG BEACH
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 90805
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
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 TCC
Departure City TUCUMCARI
Departure State NM
Departure Country
Departure Time 730
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code INW
Destination City WINSLOW
Destination State AZ
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
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 --