# Accident 20011019028689A: Piper PA30, Ozona, TX, October 19, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 19, 2001, 21:20 local time - Place: Ozona, TX - Airport: Ozona Municipal Airport - Damage: No damage - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 30.7353° N, 101.2031° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.7353&lon=-101.2031&mi=10 - Aircraft: N8642Y, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8642Y-2018-01-29) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-30 (registry code 7103002, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-30) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-320 series (registry code 41509, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA30 - Fatal injuries: 0 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW02LA018](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA018) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20011019028689A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON OCTOBER 19, 2001, AT 2120 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME A PIPER PA-30, MULTIENGINE AIRPLANE, N8642Y, STRUCK TRANSMISSION LINES AND THE TERRAIN DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR OZONA, TEXAS. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL UNDER 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES, AND TWO PASSENGERS RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT WITH A PLANNED REFUEING STOP AT SAN ANGELO, TEXAS. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT DEPARTED LAJITAS, TEXAS, APPROXIMATELY 2020. WITNESSES LOCATED AT THE LAJITAS AIRPORT, REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE LANDED AT LAJITAS AT 1930, ON THE UNLIGHTED 4,500-FOOT ASPHALT RUNWAY. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT SUNSET OCCURRED AT 1918, WITH DARK NIGHT (1/4 MOON) CONDITIONS. SKIES WERE CLEAR WITH A LIGHT BREEZE. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE AIRPORT TO THE EAST WITH AIRCRAFT LIGHTS ON, AND CLIMBING TO THE EAST/NORTHEAST. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE FLEW THE AIRPLANE FROM FORT WORTH MEACHUM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FORT WORTH, TEXAS, TO LAJITAS, TEXAS,WHERE THE THREE PASSENGERS BOARDED THE AIRPLANE FOR THE RETURN FLIGHT TO FORT WORTH. FUEL WAS NOT AVAILABLE AT LAJITAS. DURING THE TAKEOFF INITIAL/CLIMB, THE PILOT MAINTAINED FULL POWER ON THE ENGINES UNTIL REACHING AN ALTITUDE OF 8,000 FEET MSL. EN ROUTE, AT 9,500 MSL, THE PILOT RECEIVED FLIGHT FOLLOWING FROM ALBUQUERQUE AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER (ABQ ARTCC) AND HOUSTON ARTCC. WHEN THE FLIGHT WAS IN THE VICINITY OF THE OZONA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, THE PILOT MADE A DECISION TO LAND THE AIRPLANE AND REFUEL. DURING THE DESCENT, THE AIRPLANE WAS AT 2,000 FEET AGL WHEN THE LEFT ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT TURNED ON THE LEFT FUEL PUMP AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE; HOWEVER, THE LEFT ENGINE DID NOT RESTART AND THE PILOT SECURED THE LEFT ENGINE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE TRIED TO ACTIVATE THE PILOT CONTROLLED RUNWAY LIGHTS ON A FREQUENCY OF 122.8 MEGAHERTZ AND "THERE WERE NO LIGHTS OR ROTATING BEACON OPERATING AT THE AIRPORT." AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10-15 MINUTES OF CIRCLING TO LOOK FOR THE AIRPORT, THE RIGHT ENGINE LOST POWER. UPON SEEING A PARKING LOT, THE PILOT INITIATED THE EMERGENCY LANDING PROCEDURES, TURNED ON THE RIGHT FUEL PUMP, AND EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR. DURING THE APPROACH, THE UPPER PORTION OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER STRUCK POWER LINES, THE AIRPLANE NOSED DOWN, AND SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE SLID TO A STOP IN THE PARKING LOT. LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND THE FAA INSPECTOR, RESPONDING TO THE SITE, FOUND THE AIRPLANE APPROXIMATELY 1 1/4 MILE SOUTH AND 1/4 MILE WEST OF THE AIRPORT RUNWAY, RESTING UPRIGHT IN A PARKING LOT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET BEYOND DOWNED TRANSMISSION LINES. THE UPPER 6 INCHES OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER EXHIBITED STRIATIONS CONSISTENT WITH THE SIZE OF THE TRANSMISSION CABLES. THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS SEPARATED FROM THE FIREWALL. THE LEFT PROPELLER WAS FEATHERED AND THE RIGHT PROPELLER EXHIBITED "NO EVIDENCE OF POWER." THE LOWER WINGS AND FUSELAGE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. ONE MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 6 FEET PRIOR TO THE RESTING POSITION OF THE AIRPLANE. NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN EITHER THE AREA SURROUNDING THE ACCIDENT SITE OR IN THE AIRCRAFT'S FUEL TANKS. LOCAL AUTHORITIES REPORTED THAT THE NIGHT WAS "CLEAR WITH LIGHT WIND." THE UTILITY COMPANY REPORTED THE POWER OUTAGE OCCURRED ABOUT 2120. A REVIEW OF THE HOUSTON AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER (ARTCC) DATA REVEALED THAT AT 2049:55, WHEN HOUSTON ARTCC RECEIVED A HANDOFF FROM ALBUQUERQUE ARTCC, THE AIRPLANE WAS APPROXIMATELY 47 NAUTICAL MILES FROM LAJITAS AT LATITUDE 29 DEGREES 04.06 MINUTES NORTH, LONGITUDE 103 DEGREES 02.06 MINUTES WEST. THE FLIGHT ALTITUDE READOUT WAS 9,500 FEET WITH AN EN ROUTE GROUND SPEED OF 150 KNOTS. AT 2106, THE AIRCRAFT WAS 28 NAUTICAL MILES FROM OZONA, TEXAS, WHEN THE PILOT INFORMED THE CONTROLLER THAT HE WOULD LAND THE AIRPLANE AT OZONA AND REFUEL. AT 2112, THE AIRPLANE, AT AN ALTITUDE OF 7,000 FEET MSL, WAS APPROXIMATELY 18 NAUTICAL MILES FROM OZONA, WHEN THE HOUSTON ARTCC CONTROLLER TRIED TO CONTACT THE PILOT TO TERMINATE THE FLIGHT FOLLOWING PROCEDURES AND CLEAR THE PILOT FOR A FREQUENCY CHANGE; HOWEVER, THE PILOT DID NOT RESPOND. THE CONTROLLER CONTINUED TO TRACK THE AIRCRAFT, AND AT 2017, THE AIRPLANE, AT AN ALTITUDE OF 4,000 FEET MSL, WAS APPROXIMATELY 8 NAUTICAL MILES FROM OZONA. WITNESSES, LOCATED AT AND IN THE VICINITY OF THE OZONA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, REPORTED THE RUNWAY LIGHTS AND THE ROTATING BEACON WERE ON AT THE TIME THEY OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE CIRCLING THE AIRPORT. ON OCTOBER 21, 2001, THE FAA INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE RUNWAY LIGHTS AND THE ROTATING BEACON. HE REPORTED THE RUNWAY LIGHTS AND BEACON WERE OPERATIONAL AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. (-23) ON OCTOBER 19, 2001, AT APPROXIMATELY 2110 CDT, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY (FORCED) LANDING, A PIPER PA-30, N8642Y, PILOTED BY JOHN D. WILLISON STRUCK UTILITY LINES AND CRASHED IN A VACANT PARKING LOT APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE SSW OF THE AOZONA AIRPORT IN CROCKETT COUNTY, TEXAS. INITAL FAA INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT THE AIRCRAFT APPARENTLY RAN OUT OF FUEL. THE PILOT, JOHN WILLISON, AND THREE PASSENGERS, JANNETT GRIMMETT, JOSE HERNANDEZ AND DENNIS OTTS WERE ALL INJURED AND TRANSPORTED TO SHANNON MEDICAL CENTER IN SAN ANGELO, TEXAS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. THERE WAS PROPERTY DAMAGE TO A UTILITY POLE, UTILITY WIRES AND TRANSFORMER. THERE WAS NO ONE REPOPRTEDLY INJURED ON THE GROUND. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. ## 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 FTW02LA018](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA018), Oct 20, 2001: Piper PA-30 (N8642Y), Ozona, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion resulting from the pilot's failure to refuel the airplane. Contributing factors were the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing and the dark… 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.