# Accident 19980423007469A: Beech F33A, Del Rio, TX, April 23, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 23, 1998, 21:15 local time - Place: Del Rio, TX - Airport: Del Rio International Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Go Round (Aborted VFR) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 29.3704° N, 100.8907° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.3704&lon=-100.8907&mi=10 - Aircraft: N2179L, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2179L-1998-06-15) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Beech F33A (registry code 1151425, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-f33a) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH F33A - Reported engine: CONT IO520BA - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot flight hours: 276 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98FA191](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98FA191) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980423007469A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, PILOT SUFFERED FATAL INJ, ACFT WAS DESTROYED. (-23) ON APRIL 23, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 2115 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH F33A AIRCRAFT, N2179L, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED THE GROUND WHILE MANEUVERING IN THE LANDING PATTERN AT THE DEL RIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, DEL RIO, TEXAS. THE PRIVATE PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. DARK NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. FAMILY MEMBERS STATED THAT THE PILOT INTENDED TO MAKE A FULL STOP LANDING AT DEL RIO AFTER A 1.3 HOUR FLIGHT ORIGINATING IN PORT ARANSAS, TEXAS. SEVERAL WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT EXECUTE AN APPARENT "GO AROUND" AFTER AN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 13, WHICH IS 5,100 FEET IN LENGTH. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT TURN TO THE RIGHT AT MID-FIELD WHEN THE NOSE "DROPPED." SUBSEQUENTLY THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A OSE LOW ATITUDE AND A POST IMPACT FIRE ENSUED. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WAS RECEIVED REVEALING THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD IMPACTED THE GROUND SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, CAU SING DAMAGE TO THE APPROACH LIGHTS OF RUNWAY 13 PRIOR TO BEING SEEN BY WITNESSES NEGOTIATING A "GO-AROUND" AT MID FIELD. (.19) ON APRIL 23, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 2115 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH F33A AIRPLANE, N2179L, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED THE GROUND WHILE MANEUVERING IN THE LANDING PATTERN AT THE DEL RIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, DEL RIO, TEXAS. THE PRIVATE PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. DARK NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO FAMILY MEMBERS, THE PILOT INTENDED TO MAKE A FULL STOP LANDING AT DEL RIO AFTER A 1.3 HOUR CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED FROM PORT ARANSAS, TEXAS. SEVERAL WITNESSES REPORTED TO THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE THAT THEY OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT EXECUTE AN APPARENT "GO-AROUND" AFTER AN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 13, WHICH IS 5,100 FEET IN LENGTH. BOTH WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT TURNING TO THE RIGHT AT MID-FIELD WHEN THE NOSE "DROPPED." SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE AND A POST IMPACT FIRE ENSUED. (.4) THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT COMPLETED A 1.3-HOUR DARK NIGHT CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. TWO WITNESSES REPORTED OBSERVING THE AIRPLANE ATTEMPTING TO EXECUTE AN APPARENT "GO-AROUND" ON RUNWAY 13, WHICH WAS 5,100 FEET IN LENGTH. THE TWO WITNESSES OBSERVED THAT THE AIRCRAFT MADE A RIGHT TURN NEAR MID-FIELD, FOLLOWED BY THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE DROPPING TOWARDS THE GROUND. EVIDENCE AT THE SITE SHOWED THAT THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE AND A POST IMPACT FIRE ENSUED. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. NO ANOMALIES WERE FOUND WITH THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE DURING EXAMINATION. GROUND SCARS CORRESPONDING TO THE MAIN LANDING GEAR TIRES FOR THE AIRPLANE WERE FOUND 1,266 FEET SHORT OF THE LANDING THRESHOLD FOR RUNWAY 13. ADDITIONALLY, FIVE LIGHT POLES WERE FOUND KNOCKED DOWN SHORT OF THE LANDING THRESHOLD. THE AFOREMENTIONED PHYSICAL EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD APPARENTLY LANDED SHORT OF RUNWAY 13, IMPACTED THE APPROACH LIGHTING SYSTEM, EXECUTED A GO-AROUND, AND SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED THE GROUND. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW98FA191](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98FA191), Apr 24, 1998: Beech F33A (N2179L), Del Rio, TX, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: the pilot's loss of control during a go-around after impacting approach light poles on initial approach. A contributing factor was the prevailing dark night light condition. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.