Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Brooks County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Falfurrias, Texas 78355
Friday, February 15, 1991 16:46 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE LOW-TIME PRIVATE PILOT ATTEMPTED AN APPROACH TO LAND WITH WINDS FROM 070 DEGREES AT 17, GUSTING TO 25 KNOTS, THAT EXCEEDED THE CROSS WIND LANDING CAPABILITY OF THE AIRCRAFT. HE HAD HIS FLAPS SET AT TEN DEGREES. EYEWITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTING A GO-AROUND AND VIEWED IT TURNING DOWNWIND AT A LOW ALTITUDE OVER THE AIRPORT TERMINAL AND RAMP. THEY STATED THAT IT BANKED APPROXIMATELY NINETY DEGREES TO THE LEFT BEFORE IT DESCENDED UNCONTROLLED AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN. A LEFT WING FUEL CELL RUPTURED UPON IMPACT AND FUEL IGNITED AS THE AIRCRAFT SLID OVER THE GROUND AND ONTO ANOTHER RUNWAY WHERE IT BURNED. TOXICOLOGICAL TEST RESULTS WERE POSITIVE FOR PRESCRIPTION ANTIHISTAMINES WITH SEDATIVE ADDED. THE SUPERVISOR FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY RESEARCH SECTION AT CAMI STATED THE AMOUNTS WERE ABOVE THERAPEUTIC LEVELS THAT WOULD HAVE IMPACTED PILOT PERFORMANCE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS, THE PILOT NOT MAINTAINING AIRSPEED ABOVE VS DURING THE GO-AROUND ATTEMPT AND THE PILOT'S IMPAIRMENT DUE TO DRUGS. FACTORS WERE THE GUSTING CROSSWIND CONDITIONS AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/15/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1646 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | FALFURRIAS |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 78355 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | BROOKS COUNTY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | J18 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 112 |
| 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 | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 15000 |
| 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) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 0 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 70 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 17 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 25 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| 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 | 5 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 5 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 712 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 44650 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 9:21AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6961C |
| NTSB Number | FTW91FA038 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32-300 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32-7840090 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | NEAL W. THURMOND |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1208 SOUTH ST. MARY |
| Aircraft Owner City | FALFURRIAS |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 78855 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | NEAL W. THURMOND |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 1208 SOUTH ST. MARY |
| Operator City | FALFURRIAS |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 78855 |
| 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 | SAT |
| Departure City | SAN ANTONIO |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1530 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 35 |
| Runway Length | 5002 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |