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19971113042699A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 180 · Johnson City, TX · November 13, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 13, 1997 · 21:25 local
Place
Johnson City, TX
Phase of flight
Scud Running
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N20MF
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW98FA067
Reported as
Cessna 180
Reported engine
Continental O470A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
1,500 total
N20MFRegistration cancelled Aug 31, 1998 · Cessna 180S/N 30187Airframe modelCessna 180

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Became missing on night cross country flight. Located in remote area. Possible spatial disorientation spiral dive. (.4)the aircraft impacted trees while on a night cross country flight from bryan, Texas to van horn, Texas. Houston center's radar acquired the aircraft as it departed the coulter airport. The aircraft proceeded to the southwest and the last radar hit was in the vicinity of kitty hill airport, which is located about 7 miles southwest of georgetown. The aircraft wreckage was located 30 days after the accident in a remote rural area. Center's radar tracked the VFR target until 40 nautical miles short of the accident site, about 7 miles west northwest of Johnson City. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a postimpact fire. The 62 year old non-instrument rated private pilot departed on the 435 mile night cross country flight with marginal VFR weather conditions. Ceilings were between 1,300 to 2,100 feet with visibility unrestricted and greater than 6 miles. Astronomical data showed that there was nearly a full moon; however, the aircraft was most likely operating under the ceiling without any illumination from the moon. Examination of the airplane and engine did not disclose any pre-impact structural or mechanical anomalies. (-23) the flight originated from coulter airport, bryan, Texas, on nov. 13, 1997, at approximately 2100 hours CST. The Cessna 180, N20MF, owned & operated by the pilot as a title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight was destroyed during an inflight collision with the ground near Johnson City, Texas. The non-instrumented pilot was fatally injured. No flight plan was filed for the flight to van horn, Texas. There was an intense post impact fire. The aircraft was reported missing when it did not arrive at van horn. It was discovered by deer hunters on dec. 13, 1997.

As the FAA filed it

BECAME MISSING ON NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. LOCATED IN REMOTE AREA. POSSIBLE SPATIAL DISORIENTATION SPIRAL DIVE. (.4)THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TREES WHILE ON A NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM BRYAN, TEXAS TO VAN HORN, TEXAS. HOUSTON CENTER'S RADAR ACQUIRED THE AIRCRAFT AS IT DEPARTED THE COULTER AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT PROCEEDED TO THE SOUTHWEST AND THE LAST RADAR HIT WAS IN THE VICINITY OF KITTY HILL AIRPORT, WHICH IS LOCATED ABOUT 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GEORGETOWN. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED 30 DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT IN A REMOTE RURAL AREA. CENTER'S RADAR TRACKED THE VFR TARGET UNTIL 40 NAUTICAL MILES SHORT OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, ABOUT 7 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF JOHNSON CITY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT FORCES AND A POSTIMPACT FIRE. THE 62 YEAR OLD NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED ON THE 435 MILE NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT WITH MARGINAL VFR WEATHER CONDITIONS. CEILINGS WERE BETWEEN 1,300 TO 2,100 FEET WITH VISIBILITY UNRESTRICTED AND GREATER THAN 6 MILES. ASTRONOMICAL DATA SHOWED THAT THERE WAS NEARLY A FULL MOON; HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOST LIKELY OPERATING UNDER THE CEILING WITHOUT ANY ILLUMINATION FROM THE MOON. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE AND ENGINE DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY PRE-IMPACT STRUCTURAL OR MECHANICAL ANOMALIES. (-23) THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM COULTER AIRPORT, BRYAN, TEXAS, ON NOV. 13, 1997, AT APPROXIMATELY 2100 HOURS CST. THE CESSNA 180, N20MF, OWNED & OPERATED BY THE PILOT AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS DESTROYED DURING AN INFLIGHT COLLISION WITH THE GROUND NEAR JOHNSON CITY, TEXAS. THE NON-INSTRUMENTED PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT TO VAN HORN, TEXAS. THERE WAS AN INTENSE POST IMPACT FIRE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED MISSING WHEN IT DID NOT ARRIVE AT VAN HORN. IT WAS DISCOVERED BY DEER HUNTERS ON DEC. 13, 1997.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW98FA067Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportJohnson City, TXThe pilot's failure to maintain obstacle clearance. Factors were the low ceilings, dark night light conditions, and the pilot's lack of visible horizon in the unpopulated area.Nov 14, 1997 · Destroyed

Other reports on N20MF · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19921107056299IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Van Horn, TXLanded at abandoned airfield. Left tire blew on rollout. Gravel runway. Ground looped, left wing tip hit ground.Nov 7, 1992 · Minor damage