None Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Austin, Texas 78719
Tuesady, December 19, 2006 8:18 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The 3,805-hour instrument rated private pilot lost control of the airplane while executing an instrument approach under instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot had been informed by an air traffic controller to expect the ILS/DME RWY 17 instrument approach into his destination airport. The pilot acknowledged and the controller began to provide altitudes and headings to join the approach’s localizer signal. However, a review of the radar data revealed that instead of tracking the localizer, the single-engine airplane began a series of left and right hand climbing and descending turns along the localizer course before initiating a descending right hand turn to the west before the data ended. At that time, the airplane's altitude was 1,900 feet msl, and its ground speed was 173 knots. A witness, who was a commercial pilot in hot-air balloons, heard the sound of an airplane engine "revving up" and observed the airplane as it exited the 500-600 foot overcast layer. He said the airplane was in a descending (45-degree nose down) turn until it impacted the ground. Weather at the time of the accident was visibility 4 statute miles, mist, and a ceiling of 600 feet broken, and overcast 1,200 feet. Toxicological testing conducted on the pilot was negative for alcohol, carbon monoxide, and illegal drugs. However, the testing did detect the drugs doxazosin (which had been prescribed for an enlarged prostate) in the kidney and liver, doxylamine (an over-the-counter antihistamine with sedative effects) in the kidney and liver, and trimethoprim (a prescription antibiotic) in the liver. No blood was available for testing. According to a family member, the pilot had been complaining of headaches prior to the accident that the pilot thought may have been due to a sinus infection, and had been taking Nasonex (a prescription nasally inhaled steroid) regularly at the time of the accident. The family member also noted that the pilot had taken Alka-Seltzer Plus approximately 12 hours prior to the accident flight. The pilot's last application for Airman Medical Certificate in January 2005 had indicated the use of medications, but had not detailed the medications used. According to the autopsy report, "...The cause of death could not be determined. This is, at least, in part due to the severe traumatic injury of the body with destruction of vital organs precluding their examination. In addition, from the investigative information, it is not clear whether [the pilot] was alive or dead as the plane descended to the ground."

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while executing an instrument approach for undetermined reasons.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/19/2006
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 818
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City Austin
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 78719
Event Date Year 2006
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 302529N
Event Location Longitude 0974031W
Event Location Airport NONE
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 --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 833 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID AUS
Elevation of weather observation facility --
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 600
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions --
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 4
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 19
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 17
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 60
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.21
Density Altitude (feet) --
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 21792
NTSB Notification Source SAT FSDO
NTSB Notification Date Dec 19 2006 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Jul 25 2007 12:22PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\lema
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office San Antonio, Texas

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5434C
NTSB Number DFW07FA042
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? Yes
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire --
Aircraft Explosion --
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cessna
Aircraft Model T210N
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number --
Certified Max Gross Weight --
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft --
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection --
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Farmer Barnstormer, Ltd.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400
Aircraft Owner City Wilmington
Aircraft Owner State DE
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 19808
Operator is an individual? No
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? --
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) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code INJ
Departure City Hillsboro
Departure State TX
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 733
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code AUS
Destination City Austin
Destination State TX
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jun 26 2007 2:18PM
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 --