# Accident 20001012015689A: Beech B19, Umbarger, TX, October 12, 2000 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 12, 2000, 06:24 local time - Place: Umbarger, TX - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Climb - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.8992° N, 102.1294° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.8992&lon=-102.1294&mi=10 - Aircraft: N5108R, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5108R-2001-04-18) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Beech B19 (registry code 1151215, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-b19) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH B19 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot flight hours: 257 total, 51 in this make and model, 69 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW01FA003](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01FA003) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20001012015689A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) THIS FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 BY A PRIVATE PILOT IN MEASURED VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, IN THE DARK MORNING HOURS. THE SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE OWNED BY THE PILOT WAS DESTROYED DURING THE UNCONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO THE TERRAIN. THE PILOT/SOLE OCCUPANT SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES. CRASH SCENE EVIDENCE AND RADAR DATA INDICATE THAT THE PILOT SUFFERED FROM SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE WONERS PRIVATE STRIP APPROX. 4 MINUTES PRIOR TO IMPACT. THE FLIGHT'S DESTINATION WAS AMARILLO INT. AIRPORT WHERE THE PILOT WAS EMPLYED. THERE WAS NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT. (.4) DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS PREVAILED UNDER OVERCAST SKIES WHEN THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT TOOK OFF TO FLY HIS SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE FORM HIS PRIVATE AIRSTRIP TO AN AIRPORT LOCATED 29 NAUTICAL MILES FROM HIS AIRFIELD. THE PILOT OFTEN USED HIS AIRPLANE TO COMMUTE TO AND FROM HIS PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN A VERY SPARSELY POPULATED AREA THAT LACKED VISUAL CUES AT NIGHT. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A LEVEL CULTIVATED FIELD IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WHILE IN A LEFT TURN, APPROXIMATELY 2 NAUTICAL MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST (021 DEGREES) FROM THE POINT OF DEPARTURE. THE 254-HOUR PILOT HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 51 HOURS IN THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL AIRPLANE, A TOTAL OF 17.5 HOURS OF NIGHT TIME, AND 2.5 HOURS OF SIMULATED INSTRUMENT TIME. THERE WAS NO RECORD OF A DISTRESS CALL FROM THE AIRCRAFT. NO ANOMALIES WERE FOUND WITH THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE THAT COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. RADAR DATA INDICATED THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM THE COORDINATES OF THE HOME LANDING STRIP AND TRACKED SOMEWHAT OF A DIRECT COURSE TOWARD THE INTENDED DESTINATION BEARING NORTH NORTHWEST AT ALTITUDES RANGING FROM 4,100 FEET TO 4,800 FEET MSL. THE DATA SHOWED THE AIRPLANE IN A LEFT TURN BEARING ALMOST WEST FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS BEFORE THE RADAR RETURNS ENDED ABRUPTLY. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 1/2 MILE NORTH OF THE LAST RADAR RETURN. THE RADAR DATA DID NOT SHOW A GRADUAL DESCENT. THE LAST RETURN SHOWED THE AIRPLANE AT 4,700 FEET MSL, AND THEN NO RETURNS. THE REPORTED CLOUD COVER IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS 1,600 FEET OVERCAST. THE TERRAIN ELEVATION WAS 3,700 FEET MSL. ## 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 FTW01FA003](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01FA003), Oct 12, 2000: Beech B19 (N5108R), Umbarger, TX, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's loss of control due to spatial disorientation. Contributing factors were the low ceilings, the dark night illumination, the lack of visual cues, and the pilot's lack of instrument flight… ## Other reports on N5108R (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19950714025239I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950714025239I), Jul 14, 1995: Beech B19 (N5108R), Decatur, TX. Mismanged fuel enroute. Engine quit. Made emergency landing at bishop field. 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.