Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

San Diego, Texas 78384
Thursday, January 11, 1990 21:50 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING FLOWN AT NIGHT IN AN AREA WHERE THE TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT WERE 64 DEGREES F. THE PILOT LANDED SEVERAL MILES WEST OF SAN DIEGO, TEXAS. HE SAID HE HAD LANDED DUE TO FOG AND TO ASK DIRECTIONS TO ANOTHER TOWN, SO HE COULD DELIVER BIRDS FOR A HUNT THE NEXT DAY. HE WAS GIVEN DIRECTIONS TO ANOTHER TOWN, BUT WAS ALSO TOLD HE COULD LEAVE THE HELICOPTER THERE, AND THEY WOULD TAKE THE BIRDS TO TOWN TO WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO DRIVE IN AND PICK UP THE BIRDS. THE PILOT SAID HE THOUGHT HE COULD MAKE IT TO THE NEXT TOWN. THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED, BUT DID NOT ARRIVE IN THE NEXT TOWN. HUNTERS REPORTED HEARING A CRASH SEVEN MILES WEST OF THE DEPARTURE POINT. A SEARCH WAS INITIATED, BUT AFTER 2 1/2 HOURS, THE SEARCH WAS STOPPED DUE TO DENSE FOG. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND THE NEXT DAY, APPROXIMATELY 9 MILES WEST OF SAN DIEGO, TEXAS. NO PRE-IMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WERE FOUND.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT INTENTIONALLY FLEW INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS DURING NIGHT VFR FLIGHT, AND THE HELICOPTER SUBSEQUENTLY COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/11/1990
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 2150
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City SAN DIEGO
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 78384
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 1
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2200 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 90
Weather Observation Facility ID ALI
Elevation of weather observation facility 178
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 20
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 100
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 130
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 9
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
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) 268
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 12 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 915
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 41117
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 4:43PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N15SX
NTSB Number FTW90FA051
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 BELL
Aircraft Model UH-1B
Aircraft Series Identifier UH-1B
Aircraft Serial Number 63-8606
Certified Max Gross Weight 8500
Aircraft Category Helicopter
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 9
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Dec 22 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 5
Airframe Hours 5775
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ABCO LEASING, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 202 WEST 1ST ST., BOX 1030
Aircraft Owner City WICHITA
Aircraft Owner State KS
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 67201
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name COASTAL CORPORATION
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 8421 HELMS
Operator City HOUSTON
Operator State TX
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 77061
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) Other Work Use
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code
Departure City SAN DIEGO
Departure State TX
Departure Country
Departure Time 2144
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code
Destination City FREER
Destination State TX
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
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 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --