Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Midland, Texas 79706
Thursday, April 28, 2005 8:55 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A 10,000-hour Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) departed approximately 0715, to train a new company pilot in locating and reporting oil spills/leaks in oil fields. The company procedure was to conduct the flight below 500 feet (AGL), and once an oil leak was detected, orbit the site with 10 degrees of flaps while making his report. At 1307, another pilot performing pipeline patrol, spotted the wreckage and reported its location. Radar data obtained from Approach Control showed the accident airplane maneuvering "tracking back-n-forth", below 500 feet (agl), in the general area of the accident. The last radar hit, at 0843, had the airplane approximately two miles west of the accident site at an altitude of approximately 300 feet (agl). All components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. The initial impact mark was a ground scar, which exhibited fragments of red navigational lens, consistent with the left wingtip, was identified approximately eight feet south of the left wing. The main wreckage, with the engine still attached to the fuselage, was over a small crater. The impact marks were consistent with a left wing low and nose down attitude. The elevator trim tab was found 15 degrees tab-up, and the wing flaps were found extended to the 10 degree setting. Both wing tanks and or fuel lines had been breached by the impact. The right wing fuel tank had approximately 3.5 inches of fuel, and the left wing had approximately 2 inches of fuel in the tank. The main fuel tank selector valve was in the both position. A borescope inspection of the engine revealed no mechanical deformation on the valves, cylinder walls, or internal cylinder head. The left magneto produced spark at all posts at the magneto cap; the right magneto was destroyed by impact. Control continuity to all flight controls up to the rescue cuts, was established.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall. A contributing factor was the low altitude.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/28/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 855 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Midland |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 79706 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 314346N |
| Event Location Longitude | 10152511 |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 853 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 307 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KMAF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2870 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.94 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 4270 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 18963 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Communications Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 28 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1410 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 31 2006 7:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Southwest Region Facilities, (FSDO) |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8314L |
| NTSB Number | DFW05FA111 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17256514 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2450 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 1 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 961 |
| Airframe Hours | 15088 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | American Patrols, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 10,000 So. Co. Rd. 1210 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Midland |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 79706 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 10,000 So. Co. Rd. 1210 |
| Operator City | Midland |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 79706 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Aerial Observation |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 7T7 |
| Departure City | MIDLAND |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 715 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 7T7 |
| Destination City | Midland |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 12 2005 5:15PM |
| User who most recently changed record | CASH |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |