Jackson County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Edna, Texas 77957
Sunday, August 7, 1988 20:55 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

UPON ARRIVAL AT THE UNCONTROLLED DESTINATION AIRPORT, THE PILOT MADE A VISUAL APPROACH AND DETERMINED THAT THE 'LIGHTS LOOKED DIFFERENT THAN THEY NORMALLY DID.' THEREFORE A GO-AROUND WAS INITIATED AND A SECOND APPROACH COMMENCED. LATE IN THE SECOND APPROACH THE PILOT REALIZED THAT HE WAS ABOUT TO LAND IN A CULVERT AND APPLIED FULL POWER, BUT WAS UNABLE TO AVOID THE COLLISION WITH THE TERRAIN. ALTHOUGH THE NDB AND ROTATING BEACON WERE OPERATING, THE RUNWAY HAD BEEN CLOSED SINCE 7/19/88 FOR CONSTRUCTION. THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATED FOR THE ATTEMPTED LANDING IN DARK NIGHT VFR CONDITIONS. IMPACT OCCURRED BETWEEN THE RUNWAY AND A PARALLEL TAXIWAY. A NOTAM WAS ISSUED, HOWEVER, DURING THE WEATHER BRIEF THE PILOT DID NOT SPECIFY HIS DESTINATION. THEREFORE, IT WAS NOT RECEIVED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

A DELAY IN INITIATION OF THE GO-AROUND DURING THE PILOT'S SECOND ATTEMPT TO LAND IN THE DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE RUNWAY CLOSURE DUE TO CONSTRUCTION, WHICH RESULTED IN NO RUNWAY LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, AND THE FACT THAT THE PILOT DID NOT RECEIVE THE APPROPRIATE NOTAM.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/7/1988
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 2055
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City EDNA
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 77957
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport JACKSON COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 26R
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 61
Weather Briefing Completeness Partial - limited by pilot
Investigator's weather source Pilot
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 Night/Dark
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) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 28
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 26
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 170
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
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 3
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2415
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 10 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1200
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 39221
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:03PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8355L
NTSB Number FTW88LA148
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 PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-32RT-300
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-32RT-30
Aircraft Serial Number 32R-8129051
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 7
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jan 8 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 142
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WILLIAM M. BRUCE
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 148
Aircraft Owner City EVADALE
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 77615
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 NONE
Departure City FORT STOCKTON
Departure State TX
Departure Country
Departure Time 1820
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code 26R
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 14
Runway Length 3400
Runway Width 65
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --