Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Pecos, New Mexico 87552
Sunday, September 5, 1993 17:15 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WHILE DESCENDING TO HIS DESTINATION THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) CANCELED HIS IFR CLEARANCE AND DECLINED VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT MANEUVERING AT LOW ALTITUDE IN THE AREA WHERE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED, APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES FROM THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED RISING TERRAIN AT 7,300 FEET MSL. TOXICOLOGICAL TESTING REVEALED THAT THE PIC AND TWO PASSENGERS HAD COCAINE AND ALCOHOL IN TISSUE SAMPLES. AT AN UNKNOWN TIME THE PIC LEFT THE COCKPIT. BASED ON COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER ANALYSIS, HE WAS CALLED BACK TO THE COCKPIT APPROXIMATELY 11 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT BY THE COPILOT. THE COPILOT HAD NO PREVIOUS LEAR EXPERIENCE. TOXICOLOGICAL TEST RESULTS INDICATED THAT THE PIC 'USED COCAINE IN THE VERY RECENT PAST, PROBABLY WHILE IN-FLIGHT' AND CONCLUDED THAT HE 'WAS IMPAIRED BY MULTIPLE DRUG USE OF COCAINE AND ALCOHOL.' THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT REVEAL ANY STRUCTURAL OR SYSTEM FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

WAS PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND FROM ALCOHOL AND DRUGS. A FACTOR WAS THE FIRST OFFICER'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE LEAR JET.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/5/1993
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1715
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City PECOS
Event State NEW MEXICO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 87552
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 9
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 Partial - limited by pilot
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1647 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 300
Weather Observation Facility ID SAF
Elevation of weather observation facility 6344
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 25
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 15000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 6000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 40
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 30
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 240
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 9300
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 7
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 7
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1712
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:38PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N999BH
NTSB Number FTW93FA255
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name GATES LEARJET
Aircraft Model 25D
Aircraft Series Identifier 25D
Aircraft Serial Number 318
Certified Max Gross Weight 15000
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 10
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Aug 10 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 4973
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CAMBRIDGE AVIATION, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1209 ORANGE AVENUE
Aircraft Owner City WILMINGTON
Aircraft Owner State DE
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 19801
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name BLACK SWAN JET CHARTER
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 100 GLENBOROUGH
Operator City HOUSTON
Operator State TX
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 77067
Operator Code GWRA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code HOU
Departure City HOUSTON
Departure State TX
Departure Country
Departure Time 1527
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code SAF
Destination City SANTA FE
Destination State NM
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
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 --