Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Matagorda 526
Wednesday, November 22, 1989 20:15 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT THE PROPELLER ASSEMBLY SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE. THE PILOT DITCHED THE AIRPLANE NEXT TO AN OIL PLATFORM APRX 10 MI FROM LAND. THE PILOT, HIS WIFE, AND TWO SMALL CHILDREN EXITED AND ATTEMPTED TO SWIM TO THE PLATFORM. THE SEA STATE WAS ROUGH, AND NO RAFT OR LIFE VESTS WERE ON THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT'S WIFE AND CHILDREN WERE LOST AT SEA. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE MOUNTS AND CRANKSHAFT SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF FATIGUE OR PRE-EXISTING FRACTURES. APRX 4 YEARS PRIOR TO THIS ACCIDENT THE AIRPLANE WAS INVOLVED IN A GEAR-UP LANDING, RESULTING IN THE PROP BLADES BEING CURLED BACK APRX 30 DEG UP TO 8 INCHES FROM THE TIPS. THE BLADES WERE STRAIGHTENED AND RETURNED TO SERVICE. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER THE REPAIR WAS NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR SERVICE MANUAL AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE SEPARATION OF THE PROPELLER SYSTEM FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE SEVERITY OF THE INJURIES WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ASSURE THAT A RAFT AND/OR LIFEVESTS WERE ON THE AIRPLANE DURING THE OVERWATER PORTION OF THE FLIGHT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/22/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 2015 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | MATAGORDA 526 |
| Event State | GULF OF MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 00000 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| 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 | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| 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 | 2000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Overcast |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 30 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 10 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 30 |
| 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 | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 6018 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 22 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1840 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 43338 |
| 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 Registration Number | TGGUW |
| NTSB Number | FTW90FA031 |
| 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 | 210E |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 210E |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 21058683 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3100 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | Foreign Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 29 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 77 |
| Airframe Hours | 1662 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| 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 | THOMAS P. MIFSUD |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 6 AVE 0-60 2.4 |
| Operator City | GUATEMALA CITY |
| Operator State | OF |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 00000 |
| 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 | BRO |
| Departure City | BROWNSVILLE |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1900 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | AAP |
| Destination City | HOUSTON |
| Destination State | TX |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |