Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Rutherford Ranch Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Buda, Texas 78610
Sunday, March 26, 2000 8:40 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The flight was approaching a private airport (elevation 983 feet msl), that did not have an instrument approach system, during instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot informed the air traffic controller that he had the airport in sight, and cancelled his instrument flight plan. The twin turbofan airplane impacted a tree approximately 4,000 feet northeast of the airport in an upright position. The airplane then impacted the ground in an inverted position approximately 200 yards from the initial impact with the tree. The weather observation facility located 16 miles northeast of the accident site was reporting an overcast ceiling at 400 feet agl, and visibility 4 statute miles in mist. The weather observation facility elevation was 541 feet msl. Local residents in the vicinity of the accident site stated that there was heavy fog and drizzle at the time of the accident. The pilot had filed an alternate airport (with a precision instrument approach); however, he elected not to divert to the alternate airport. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any evidence of pre-impact anomalies that would have prevented operation of the airplane.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's inadequate in-flight decision to continue a visual approach in instrument meteorological conditions which resulted in his failure to maintain terrain clearance. Contributing factors were the fog, drizzle, and low ceilings.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/26/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 840 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | BUDA |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 78610 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | RUTHERFORD RANCH |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 85TX |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 30 |
| Airport Elevation | 970 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 839 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 75 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AUS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 541 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 16 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 400 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 170 |
| 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) | 1298 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| 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) | 1098 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 26 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1430 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 10 2001 4:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N130MR |
| NTSB Number | FTW00FA103 |
| 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 | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 525 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 525 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 525-0097 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 10400 |
| 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 | 8 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 18 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 10 |
| Airframe Hours | 720 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MIKE G. RUTHERFORD |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 9150 FM 967 |
| Aircraft Owner City | BUDA |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 78610 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| 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 | SGR |
| Departure City | HOUSTON |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 745 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | 85TX |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 3 2001 4:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 19 |
| Runway Length | 3800 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |