Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Terry County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Brownfield, Texas 79316
Monday, July 5, 1999 19:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane stalled as the pilot pulled up to clear powerlines following a loss of engine power on final approach. The left wing of the airplane dropped abruptly, and the airplane nosed down impacting the ground in a left wing low attitude, approximately 100 yards short of the landing threshold. The pilot estimated that he had approximately 40 gallons of fuel prior to departing on the 35-nautical mile flight. The pilot reported to a local law enforcement officer that the engine lost power on final approach and 'he was not quick enough to switch the fuel selector to the other tank.' Examination of the fuel system by an FAA inspector revealed that the airplane was equipped with an extended range fuel system which encompassed a total of 7 fuel cells, with 3 cells in each wing and a fuselage tank aft of the baggage compartment. Most of the fuel cells were compromised during impact and evidence of spilled fuel was found on the ground.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadvertent stall while attempting to clear powerlines. Factors were the loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and the pilot's improper use of the fuel tank selector.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/5/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1900 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | BROWNFIELD |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 79316 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | TERRY COUNTY AIRPORT |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | Q26 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 3263 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1856 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 13 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LBB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3200 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 35 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6500 |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 31 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 17 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 23 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 5781 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 609 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 5 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2046 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 10 2001 10:00AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9520E |
| NTSB Number | FTW99LA180 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bellanca |
| Aircraft Model | BL17-30A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | BL17-30A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 76-30805 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3325 |
| 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 | Dec 14 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 54 |
| Airframe Hours | 2534 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PAUL M. WILLIS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 11302 HIGHWAY 84 |
| Aircraft Owner City | SHALLOWATER |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 79363 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | LBB |
| Departure City | LUBBOCK |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1845 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | Q26 |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 10 2001 12:27PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 20 |
| Runway Length | 5218 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |