What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 7/13/00, approx. 2140 CDT, a Bellanca BL-17-30A (single engine airplane) N8263R, was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain during a night forced landing following a loss of engine power near west Houston airport (iws) Houston, TX. The a/c was registered to and operated by private individual. The private pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. Night viaual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the code 14 of federal reguslations 91 personal flight. The flight originated from conroe, TX. At an unknown time. The a/c was completely destroyed in the post crash fire, leaving very few components to analyze in determining the cause. (.4) history of flight: on July 23, 2000, approximately 2140 central daylight time, a ballanca 17-30A single-engine airplane, N8263R, was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain during a night forced landing following a loss of engine power near Houston, Texas. The airplane was registered to and operated by private individuals. The private pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, an d a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight. The cross-country flight originated from conroe, Texas, at an unknown time. The person, who was manning the west Houston airport's UNICOM reported that he received a call from the pilot of the accident airplane asking for an "airport advisory." He advised the pilot that the wind was from the south at 6 knots, and the active runway was 15, with left hand traffic. Approximately 3-5 minutes later, the pilot radioed, "west Houston we've lost power requesting emergency landing." The UNICOM operator asked for the pilot to repeat, at which time the pilot stated, "I have lost power and need to make an emergency landing." That was the last radio transmission the operator heard from the pilot. The pilot of a helicopter, which was inbound for landing at the west Houston airport, stated that he heard the pilot of the accident airplane report crossing midfield entering left downwind for runway 15. When he was unable to make visual contact with the airplane, he radioed the pilot to inform him he didn't have him in sight and that he was turning on his landing lihgt. He then heard the pilot call west hou ston's UNICOM and request that the runway lights be turned to high ntensity, and stated that he had "lost all the power." The airplane impacted trees and came to rest in a densely wooded area, approximately 1,400 feet southwest of the approach end of runway 33.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 7/13/00, APPROX. 2140 CDT, A BELLANCA BL-17-30A (SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE) N8263R, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN DURING A NIGHT FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR WEST HOUSTON AIRPORT (IWS) HOUSTON, TX. THE A/C WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. NIGHT VIAUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE CODE 14 OF FEDERAL REGUSLATIONS 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM CONROE, TX. AT AN UNKNOWN TIME. THE A/C WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED IN THE POST CRASH FIRE, LEAVING VERY FEW COMPONENTS TO ANALYZE IN DETERMINING THE CAUSE. (.4) HISTORY OF FLIGHT: ON JULY 23, 2000, APPROXIMATELY 2140 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BALLANCA 17-30A SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N8263R, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN DURING A NIGHT FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR HOUSTON, TEXAS. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. DARK NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AN D A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM CONROE, TEXAS, AT AN UNKNOWN TIME. THE PERSON, WHO WAS MANNING THE WEST HOUSTON AIRPORT'S UNICOM REPORTED THAT HE RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE ASKING FOR AN "AIRPORT ADVISORY." HE ADVISED THE PILOT THAT THE WIND WAS FROM THE SOUTH AT 6 KNOTS, AND THE ACTIVE RUNWAY WAS 15, WITH LEFT HAND TRAFFIC. APPROXIMATELY 3-5 MINUTES LATER, THE PILOT RADIOED, "WEST HOUSTON WE'VE LOST POWER REQUESTING EMERGENCY LANDING." THE UNICOM OPERATOR ASKED FOR THE PILOT TO REPEAT, AT WHICH TIME THE PILOT STATED, "I HAVE LOST POWER AND NEED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING." THAT WAS THE LAST RADIO TRANSMISSION THE OPERATOR HEARD FROM THE PILOT. THE PILOT OF A HELICOPTER, WHICH WAS INBOUND FOR LANDING AT THE WEST HOUSTON AIRPORT, STATED THAT HE HEARD THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE REPORT CROSSING MIDFIELD ENTERING LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 15. WHEN HE WAS UNABLE TO MAKE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE AIRPLANE, HE RADIOED THE PILOT TO INFORM HIM HE DIDN'T HAVE HIM IN SIGHT AND THAT HE WAS TURNING ON HIS LANDING LIHGT. HE THEN HEARD THE PILOT CALL WEST HOU STON'S UNICOM AND REQUEST THAT THE RUNWAY LIGHTS BE TURNED TO HIGH NTENSITY, AND STATED THAT HE HAD "LOST ALL THE POWER." THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES AND CAME TO REST IN A DENSELY WOODED AREA, APPROXIMATELY 1,400 FEET SOUTHWEST OF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 33.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N8263R · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.