# Accident 20010212001729A: Blanca 1730A, Pampa, TX, February 12, 2001

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 12, 2001, 20:15 local time
- Place: Pampa, TX
- Airport: Perry Lefors Field Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.6058° N, 100.9608° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.6058&lon=-100.9608&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1256R, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1256R-2001-10-03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bellanca 17-30A (registry code 1220433, https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-17-30a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BLANCA 1730A
- Reported engine: CONT IO520K
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 350 total, 50 in this make and model, 50 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW01FA065](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01FA065) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010212001729A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) ON FEBRUARY 12, 2001, @APPROXIMATELY 2015 CST, BL-17-30A, N1256R, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN WHILE MANUEVERING NEAR PAMPA, TEXAS. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NIGHT VMC PREVAILED; HOWEVER, LOCAL OBSERVERS REPORTED DENSE FOG. A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE PART 91 FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM ABQ, AT 1822, AND WAS DESTINED FOR PPA. ALBUQUERQUE ARTCC STATED THAT AT 1955, 20 MINUTED PRIOR TO THE INTENDED DESTINATION, THE PILOT TERMINATED VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING. AT 2400 THE PPA AIRPORT MANAGER WAS NOTIFIED OF AN ELT TRANSMITTING IN THE VICINITY OF PAMPA. THE ELT COULD NOT BE LOCATED ON THE AIRPORT. A CONTINUING SEARCH FOR THE ELT RESULTED IN FINDING N1265R ABOUT 0130 APPROXIMATELY TWO ILES EAST OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND ON A MAGNETIC HEADING OF 030. THE AIRPLANE TRAVELED FOR 37 FEET BEFORE CHANGING DIRECTION TO 050 DEGREES. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED FOR 505 FEET BEFORE COMING TO REST.                                                                                                                                           (.4) ACCORDING TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, 20 MILES PRIOR TO THE INTENDED DESTINATION, THE PILOT TERMINATED VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING FOR THE NIGHT CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. ABOUT 4 HOURS LATER, THE DESTINATION AIRPORT MANAGER WAS NOTIFIED OF AN EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER (ELT) TRANSMITTING IN THE VICINITY. A CHECK OF THE AIRPORT DID NOT LOCATE THE ELT. A CONTINUING SEARCH FOR THE ELT RESULTED IN FINDING OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE APPROXIMATELY 1.8 MILES EAST OF THE AIRPORT. EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND AND TRAVELED 505 FEET BEFORE COMING TO REST. THE ENGINE SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE AND TRAVELED FOR 693 FEET BEFORE COMING TO REST. THERE WERE NO REPORTED EYEWITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT; HOWEVER, FOG WAS REPORTED IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED A PREFLIGHT BRIEFING ABOUT 12 HOURS BEFORE THE FLIGHT. NO STRUCTURAL OR MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WERE OBSERVED DURING THE POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE. THE LAST LOGGED NIGHT FLIGHT WAS ON JANUARY 14, 2001, AND THE LAST LOGGED SIMULATED INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS FLIGHT WAS ON NOVEMBER 7, 1999. THE FAA CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INSTITUTE TOXICOLOGY REPORT NOTED 7.65 (MG/DL, MG/HG) ACETAMINOPHEN WAS DETECTED IN URINE. CHLORPHENIRAMINE WAS DETECT IN BLOOD AND URINE. ACCORDING TO THE FAA SOUTHWEST REGIONAL FLIGHT SURGEON, CHLORPHENIRAMINE IS FOUND IN ALLERGY AND COLD PREPARATIONS. IT IS SOMETIMES COMBINED WITH ACETAMINOPHEN (TYLENOL). IT MAY CAUSE SIGNIFICANT DROWSINESS, THEREFORE, IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR USE WHILE PERFORMING SAFETY-SENSITIVE ACTIVITIES.

## 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 FTW01FA065](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01FA065), Feb 13, 2001: Bellanca 17-30A (N1256R), Pampa, TX, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance. Contributing factors were the dark night and the fog.

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.

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