Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Sierra Blanca Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sierra Blanca, Texas 79851
Tuesady, April 24, 2007 11:00 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The 1,471-hour commercial pilot lost control of the single-engine airplane while attempting to abort a crosswind landing on a closed runway. The flight had originated from the accident location where the pilot arrived earlier in the day to pick-up an aerial observer. The flight was scheduled in support of a local sheriff department that has requested assistance in locating a stolen vehicle in a remote rural area. The search for the stolen vehicle was discontinued by the pilot after he became aware that a nearby airport had issued a high wind warning for the area. The mishap took place when the pilot elected to return to the airport to drop-off the observer. The pilot reported that he planned for a straight-in approach to runway 21. The closed airport was not equipped with a windsock; however, the pilot reported that he was aware that a strong right crosswind was present when he was established on final approach with the flaps extended to the 24-degree setting. The winds at the KELP airport at the time of the accident were reported from 270 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 26 knots. The pilot added that soon after the right main landing gear tire touched down on the runway, a gust of wind attempted to roll the aircraft to the left and the pilot elected to apply full engine power to abort the landing. During the attempted aborted landing, the airplane collided with tall bushes lining both sides of the runway, continued through a fence, and finally came to rest on a pasture east of the runway. The right wing and the both horizontal stabilizers sustained structural damage. The pilot and the observer were not injured.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The loss of control as result of the pilot's failure to compensate for the existing wind conditions. A contributing factor was the crosswind.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/24/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1100 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Sierra Blanca |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 79851 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 311500N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1051800W |
| Event Location Airport | Sierra Blanca |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1051 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 315 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KELP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3958 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 88 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| 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) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 270 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 18 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 35 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.85 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 21714 |
| NTSB Notification Source | ABQ FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 1 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 27 2007 1:15PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N800CP |
| NTSB Number | DFW07CA101 |
| 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 | Maule |
| Aircraft Model | MXT-7-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 14058C |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| 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 | Eyes on the Border Foundation |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 10505 Katy Fwy |
| Aircraft Owner City | Houston |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 77024 |
| 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 | 10505 Katy Fwy |
| Operator City | Houston |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 77024 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Sierra Blanca |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Sierra Blanca |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - flare/touchdown |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 30 2007 2:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | CASH |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 21 |
| Runway Length | 3000 |
| Runway Width | 35 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |