Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Crane, Texas 79731
Friday, October 27, 1989 14:38 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT WAS ON A VFR X-COUNTRY FLT. HE RCVD AN INFLT WX BRIEFING & WAS ADZD OF A CONVECTIVE SIGMET (25C) CONCERNING IMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS. THE CONTROLLER ALSO PROVIDED THE CURRENT WX FOR MIDLAND & FARMINGTON, AND SUGGESTED A ROUTING AROUND THE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS. THE PLT SAID HE DID NOT HAVE A MAP & ASKED FOR THE CALL LETTERS FOR FARMINGTON. WHEN THE ACFT DID NOT ARRIVE, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT AN ACFT IN THE AREA HAD MADE A SPIRALING DIVE FROM 11,800 FT BEFORE RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. AN EXAM OF THE CRASH SITE REVEALED THE ACFT HAD CRASHED IN A NOSE DOWN, RIGHT WING LOW ATTITUDE. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT WAS FOUND. ACCORDING TO WITNESS INFO, THE SKY CONDITION IN THE ACDNT AREA WAS OBSCURED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL, DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/27/1989
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1438
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City CRANE
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 79731
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID NONE
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 --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
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 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) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
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 Heavy
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2293
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 28 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2125
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 42195
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N756WH
NTSB Number FTW90FA018
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 CESSNA
Aircraft Model TR182
Aircraft Series Identifier TR182
Aircraft Serial Number R18201178
Certified Max Gross Weight 3100
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 Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Dec 6 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 155
Airframe Hours 1309
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name PHILLIP M. CHRISTOPHERSON
Aircraft Owner Street Address 2801 E. BRYAN RD.
Aircraft Owner City CASPER
Aircraft Owner State WY
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 82609
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name P.C. TRANSPORT INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
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) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code ALI
Departure City ALICE
Departure State TX
Departure Country
Departure Time 1230
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code E41
Destination City BIG LAKE
Destination State TX
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
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 --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --