Fabens Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Fabens, Texas 79838
Wednesday, June 20, 1990 9:00 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

FOUR ACFT DEPD CARLSBAD, NM, ON A FLT TO FABENS, TX. THE 1ST OF THE 4 ACFT TO ENTER THE TFC PATTERN AT FABENS WAS CESSNA 140, N76728. IT ENTERED THE PATTERN BEHIND A HIGH WING CESSNA (BORDER PATROL ACFT) THAT LANDED ON RWY 26. HOWEVER, SINCE THE WIND FAVORED RWY 8, THE 140 PLT 'PASSED OVER 26,' ENTERED A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 8 & ANNOUNCED HIS INTENTIONS ON THE UNICOM FREQ. WHEN THE BORDER PATROL ACFT CLRD RWY 26, THE 140 PLT CONTD HIS APCH TO LND ON RWY 8. HE ASSUMED THE PLTS OF THE OTHER 3 ACFT OF THE FLT WOULD FOLLOW HIM. THE 2ND ACFT OF THE FLT WAS A RYAN ST-3KR, N48743. THE RYAN PLT SAW THE HIGH WING CESSNA (BORDER PATROL ACFT) CLR RWY 26 & ELECTED TO LAND ON THAT RWY. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE CESSNA 140 & RYAN ST-3KR CONVERGED WHILE LANDING FROM OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. THE CESSNA 140 PLT SAW THE RYAN ST-3KR JUST BEFORE IMPACT, BUT NOT IN TIME TO AVOID A COLLISION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT BY THE PILOTS OF BOTH AIRCRAFT, WHICH RESULTED IN A FAILURE OF EACH PILOT TO SEE-AND-AVOID THE OTHER AIRCRAFT. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: FAILURE OF THE RYAN ST-3KR PILOT TO MAKE TRAFFIC ADVIZORIES WHILE ENTERING THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND APPROACHING TO LAND.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/20/1990
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 900
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City FABENS
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 79838
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? Yes
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport FABENS
Event Location Nearest Airport ID E35
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 3660
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 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 25
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 90
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1573
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 20 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1115
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 42844
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft #2

Aircraft Registration Number N76728 N48743
NTSB Number FTW90LA121A FTW90LA121B
Missing Aircraft Indicator N N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None None
Flight plan Was Activated? -- --
Damage Substantial Substantial
Aircraft Fire None None
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA Ryan
Aircraft Model 140 ST-3KR
Aircraft Series Identifier 140 ST-3KR
Aircraft Serial Number 11160 1287
Certified Max Gross Weight 1500 1885
Aircraft Category Airplane Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No No
Flight Crew Seats -- --
Cabin Crew Seats -- --
Passenger Seats -- --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2 2
Number of Engines 1 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour Annual
Date of Last Inspection Feb 1 1990 12:00AM Aug 3 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 15 --
Airframe Hours 1909 --
ELT Installed Yes Yes
ELT Activated Yes No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No Unknown
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name DON S. SINGLETON NORMAN D. JUSTICE
Aircraft Owner Street Address 16109 CHALFONT CIRCLE RT. 1 BOX 17
Aircraft Owner City DALLAS COVINGTON
Aircraft Owner State TX TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 75248 76636
Operator is an individual? -- --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown 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 Personal
Second Pilot on Board No No
Departure Point Same as Event No No
Departure Airport Code CNM CNM
Departure City CARLSBAD CARLSBAD
Departure State NM NM
Departure Country
Departure Time 745 700
Departure Time Zone MDT MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code E35 E35
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing Landing
Report sent to ICAO? -- --
Evacuation occurred -- --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo dbo
Since inspection or accident -- --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 8 26
Runway Length 4200 4200
Runway Width 60 60
Sight Seeing flight No No
Air Medical Flight No No
Medical Flight -- --