What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed under unknown circumstances. All 5 POB suffered fatal injuries. The acft was destroyed. (.19) on February 5, 1999, approsimately 2103 central standard time, a Cessna 182B airplane, N54FC, was destroyed upon impact with terrain shortly after takeoff from the Ozona Municipal Airport, Ozona, Texas. The non-instrument rated private pilot and his four passengers sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was owned and operated by ro farms incorporated of midkiff, Texas. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight for which no flight plan was filed. The airplane was en route to midkiff, Texas. Two witnesses, who observed the aircraft takeoff from runway 34, commented that visibility at the time was about "clear." One witness stated, "how odd it was that [the] aircraft was on the south end of the runway, because there was a breeze out of the south approximately 5 to 10 miles per hour." Both witnesses stated that the airplane appeared to have a "normal" takeoff roll and climbout. Neither witness thought that the aircraft was in distress from their observations. The wreckage was found approximately three miles from the departure end of the runway on private property. After the initial point of impact, the wreckage was spread over a 625 foot area. (-23)on February 6, 1999, at 2100 hours a Cessna 182B, N54FC owned and operated by privacy data omitted crashed within a few minutes after take off. Night VFR flight conditions prevailed. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot and four passengers sustained fatal injuries. The pilot, privacy data omitted . The flight originated at crockett county airport in Ozona, Texas and was enroute to midkiff, Texas at the time of the accident. The investigation is still pending review of aircraft maintenance records. The records are in possession of the national transportation safety board. (.4) two witnesses observed the single-engine airplane take off into the dark night on a bearing of 340 degrees. The wreckage was found the next morning approximately three miles from the departure end of the runway on gently rising terrain at an elevation of 2,978 feet MSL. The elevation of the departure airport was 2,381 feet MSL. The aircraft was found severely fragment ed along a 625-foot energy path bearing 360 degrees. All components of the aircraft were found within the energy path. A field examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal evidence of any pre-impact anomalies. Flight control continuity could not be established due to the fragmentation of the airframe. However, the control cables were examined, and each exhibited overload in the segments that were broken. Toxicology tests on the pilot were negative, and no pre-existing medical conditions were found during an autopsy that would have contributed to the accident. The estimated weight and balance for the airplane was within limits.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. ALL 5 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES. THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED. (.19) ON FEBRUARY 5, 1999, APPROSIMATELY 2103 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 182B AIRPLANE, N54FC, WAS DESTROYED UPON IMPACT WITH TERRAIN SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE OZONA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, OZONA, TEXAS. THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS FOUR PASSENGERS SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY RO FARMS INCORPORATED OF MIDKIFF, TEXAS. DARK NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT FOR WHICH NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS EN ROUTE TO MIDKIFF, TEXAS. TWO WITNESSES, WHO OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 34, COMMENTED THAT VISIBILITY AT THE TIME WAS ABOUT "CLEAR." ONE WITNESS STATED, "HOW ODD IT WAS THAT [THE] AIRCRAFT WAS ON THE SOUTH END OF THE RUNWAY, BECAUSE THERE WAS A BREEZE OUT OF THE SOUTH APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 MILES PER HOUR." BOTH WITNESSES STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO HAVE A "NORMAL" TAKEOFF ROLL AND CLIMBOUT. NEITHER WITNESS THOUGHT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN DISTRESS FROM THEIR OBSERVATIONS. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY THREE MILES FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. AFTER THE INITIAL POINT OF IMPACT, THE WRECKAGE WAS SPREAD OVER A 625 FOOT AREA. (-23)ON FEBRUARY 6, 1999, AT 2100 HOURS A CESSNA 182B, N54FC OWNED AND OPERATED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITT^ CRASHED WITHIN A FEW MINUTES AFTER TAKE OFF. NIGHT VFR FLIGHT CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE PILOT AND FOUR PASSENGERS SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ . THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT CROCKETT COUNTY AIRPORT IN OZONA, TEXAS AND WAS ENROUTE TO MIDKIFF, TEXAS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE INVESTIGATION IS STILL PENDING REVIEW OF AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS. THE RECORDS ARE IN POSSESSION OF THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD. (.4) TWO WITNESSES OBSERVED THE SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE TAKE OFF INTO THE DARK NIGHT ON A BEARING OF 340 DEGREES. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND THE NEXT MORNING APPROXIMATELY THREE MILES FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY ON GENTLY RISING TERRAIN AT AN ELEVATION OF 2,978 FEET MSL. THE ELEVATION OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT WAS 2,381 FEET MSL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND SEVERELY FRAGMENT ED ALONG A 625-FOOT ENERGY PATH BEARING 360 DEGREES. ALL COMPONENTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE FOUND WITHIN THE ENERGY PATH. A FIELD EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL EVIDENCE OF ANY PRE-IMPACT ANOMALIES. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY COULD NOT BE ESTABLISHED DUE TO THE FRAGMENTATION OF THE AIRFRAME. HOWEVER, THE CONTROL CABLES WERE EXAMINED, AND EACH EXHIBITED OVERLOAD IN THE SEGMENTS THAT WERE BROKEN. TOXICOLOGY TESTS ON THE PILOT WERE NEGATIVE, AND NO PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITIONS WERE FOUND DURING AN AUTOPSY THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. THE ESTIMATED WEIGHT AND BALANCE FOR THE AIRPLANE WAS WITHIN LIMITS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.