Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Abilene Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Abilene, Texas 79602
Sunday, August 31, 2014 18:34 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On August 31, 2014, about 1834 central daylight time, a Schafer Foxtrot 4, experimental, amateur-built, single-engine airplane, N729AR, was destroyed after impacting terrain during initial climb near Abilene Regional Airport (ABI), Abilene, Texas. The pilot and one passenger were fatally injured, a second passenger was seriously injured, and a 2-year old child sustained minor injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. Day visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time of the accident and a flight plan had not been filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. At the time of the accident the airplane was departing ABI for a local flight.
The airplane was taking off to the south and was about 200 feet above ground level when the pilot declared an emergency and reported to the tower controller that he needed to return. A witness saw the southbound airplane in a steep left bank and several witnesses heard the sounds of impact. The airplane was generally northbound when it impacted mesquite trees and terrain about one mile south of the airport. The impact resulted in the complete separation from the fuselage of the forward fuselage, engine and propeller. The wing was also completely separated from the fuselage and both wing fuel tanks were compromised. All three adult occupants were ejected or partially ejected. The child in the rear seat remained restrained by a 4-point safety harness and was removed from the wreckage by emergency responders who arrived quickly. There no postimpact fire.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/31/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1834 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Abilene |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 79602 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 322404N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0994056W |
| Event Location Airport | ABILENE REGIONAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ABI |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 5898 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 85 |
| Airport Elevation | 1790 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 1 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KABI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1790 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| 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) | 36 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 170 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 17 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 22 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.87 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ASW Reg'l Opns Center - Ft |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 5 2014 4:24PM |
| User who most recently changed record | latt |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N729AR |
| NTSB Number | CEN14FA468 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | SCHAFER RICK W |
| Aircraft Model | FOXTROT 4 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | F-008 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2579 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 2 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | C126 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RICK W SCHAFER |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 198 BETTY DR |
| Aircraft Owner City | COLUMBUS |
| Aircraft Owner State | MS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 397050322 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | RICK W SCHAFER |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 198 BETTY DR |
| Operator City | COLUMBUS |
| Operator State | MS |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 397050322 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | ABI |
| Departure City | Abilene |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1833 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | ABI |
| Destination City | Abilene |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 5 2014 4:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | latt |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 17R |
| Runway Length | 7203 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |