Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Longview, Texas 75601
Wednesday, November 10, 1993 17:40 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED IN THE VICINITY OF THE GREGG COUNTY AIRPORT, FLYING AT 'NO MORE THAN 150 TO 200 FEET AGL. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT IT ENTERED A DESCENDING RIGHT TURN AS THE PILOT RADIOED A DISTRESS CALL, THEN IT CRASHED INTO TREES & TERRAIN. NO REDUCTION OF ENGINE POWER WAS NOTED BEFORE IMPACT, & NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE WAS FOUND. RECORDS OF THE PILOT INDICATED HE WAS ENROLLED IN A SUBSTANCE ABUSE & ALCOHOL PROGRAM. HE HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED AS SUICIDAL AFTER USE OF ALCOHOL, HAD A HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, & HIS LIFE HAD BECOME STRAINED AFTER FACING A NUMBER OF PERSONAL PROBLEMS. TOXICOLOGY TESTS OF THE PILOT FOR ETHANOL SHOWED 209 MG/DL IN BLOOD, 65 MG/DL IN VITREOUS FLUID, & 69 MG/DL IN URINE. DRUG TESTS SHOWED ACETALDEBYDE LEVELS OF 13 MG/DL IN BLOOD & 14 MG/DL IN URINE; 0.008 UG/ML OF TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL CARBOXYLIC ACID (METABOLITE OF MARIJUANA) WAS DETECTED IN THE PILOT'S URINE, BUT NONE WAS FOUND IN HIS BLOOD.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

POOR JUDGMENT OF THE PILOT DUE TO IMPAIRMENT FROM CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL AND USE OF A DRUG (MARIJUANA), AND HIS FAILURE TO CORRECT A DESCENT, WHILE MANEUVERING AT LOW ALTITUDE. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE PILOT'S PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITION.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/10/1993
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1740
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City LONGVIEW
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 75601
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 11
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 1742 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 350
Weather Observation Facility ID GGG
Elevation of weather observation facility 365
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 5000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 16
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
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) 1715
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Nov 10 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2000
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:45PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N6651P
NTSB Number FTW94FA031
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-24-250
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-24-250
Aircraft Serial Number 24-1774
Certified Max Gross Weight 2900
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 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 2 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 27
Airframe Hours 4128
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name MADISON, WALTER F.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 918 W. MARSHALL
Aircraft Owner City LONGVIEW
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 75601
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
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 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
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 --