Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Wood Triple D Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Elgin, Texas 78621
Friday, September 22, 1989 15:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A FARMER RPRTD HE OBSERVED THE ACFT APCHG THE PVT STRIP, AS IF TO LAND FROM THE SOUTH, BUT HE DID NOT SEE IT CRASH. THE ACFT WRECKAGE WAS FOUND ABOUT 1/4 MI FROM THE APCH END OF RWY 2, WHEN FIREMEN RESPONDED TO A RPRTD GRASS FIRE. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ACFT HAD IMPACTED IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE & BURNED. NO ROTATIONAL DAMAGE WAS NOTED ON THE PROP. THE MIXTURE CONTROL WAS FOUND AT THE IDLE CUT-OFF PSN & THE THROTTLE WAS FOUND 2.3' FROM THE FORWARD PSN & BENT ABOUT 90 DEG TO THE RGT. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ALSO FOUND BETWEEN THE LEFT TANK & OFF PSN; HOWEVER, THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT DUE TO IMPACT & FIRE. BEFORE THE FLT, PLT HAD EXPRESSED HIS APPRENHENSION ABOUT LANDING AT THE AIRSTRIP. THIS WAS THE 1ST FLT FOR THE ACFT SINCE 6/3/89. IT HAD BEEN AT THE DEP ARPT DURING THAT TIME FOR COSMETIC MAINTENANCE. APRX 30 MI WEST AT AUSTIN, THE 1553 CDT WIND WAS FROM 340 DEG AT 14 GUSTING 25 KTS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT CLOSURE (DEACTIVATION) OF THE MIXTURE CONTROL, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE GUSTY WIND, AND THE PILOT'S APPREHENSION OF EXISTING CONDITIONS.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/22/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1530 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | ELGIN |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 78621 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | WOOD TRIPLE D |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | NONE |
| 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 | 505 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1553 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 260 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AUS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 630 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 30 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 6500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| 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) | 31 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 25 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| 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) | 2373 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 22 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1720 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 43012 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 1:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4329A |
| NTSB Number | FTW89FA171 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-22-150 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-22-150 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 22-3684 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2000 |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | |
| Aircraft Owner State | |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | HAL F. MATHENY |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 415 MAIN ST. |
| Operator City | MCDADE |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 78650 |
| 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 | T72 |
| Departure City | HEARNE |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1440 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| 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 | 2 |
| Runway Length | 1800 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |