# Accident 20011212033739A: Tmpson NAVIONA, El Paso, TX, December 12, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 12, 2001, 23:30 local time - Place: El Paso, TX - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Scud Running - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 31.5178° N, 105.4186° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.5178&lon=-105.4186&mi=10 - Aircraft: N4530K, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4530K-2014-11-25) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Ryan NAVION A (registry code 6150162, https://openairdocs.org/model/ryan-navion-a) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental E185 series (registry code 17014, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-e185-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: TMPSON NAVIONA - Reported engine: CONT E1859 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 500 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW02LA053](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA053) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20011212033739A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON DECEMBER 12, 2001, APPROXIMATELY 2330 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A RYAN NAVION A SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N4530K, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AFTER IT IMPACTED TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR SIERRA BLANCA, TEXAS. THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT, WHO OWNED AND OPERATED THE AIRPLANE, AND HIS PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. NIGHT INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED MIDLAND, TEXAS, APPROXIMATELY 1900, AND WAS DESTINED FOR PHOENIX, ARIZONA. DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY AN NTSB INVESTIGATOR, THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE "ENROUTE UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES TO EL PASO [TEXAS], HE ENCOUNTERED CLOUDS." DURING A MANEUVER TO AVOID THE CLOUDS, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE TERRAIN. THE PILOT THEN ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT RESCUE PERSONNEL VIA A CELLULAR PHONE. A U.S. BORDER PATROL HELICOPTER, BASED AT EL PASO, ATTEMPTED TO RESPOND TO THE ACCIDENT LOCATION, HOWEVER, A SNOWSTORM HAD SUSPENDED THEIR EFFORTS. THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE LOCATED BY U.S. BORDER PATROL PERSONNEL APPROXIMATELY 0520 ON DECEMBER 13. THE ELEVATION AT THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS ESTIMATED AT 5,000 FEET MSL. AT 2251, THE WEATHER OBSERVATION FACILITY IN EL PASO, LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 45 NAUTICAL MILES NORTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, REPORTED THE WIND FROM 310 DEGREES AT 11 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, FEW CLOUDS AT 4,000 FEET MSL, OVERCAST CEILING AT 7,500 FEET MSL, TEMPERATURE 39 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, DEWPOINT 25 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, AND ALTIMETER SETTING OF 30.04 INCHES OF MERCURY. (-23) HISTORY OF FLIGHT: ON DECEMBER 12, 2001 AT APPROX. 2330 MST, A RYAN NAVION A, N4530K, OWNED BY LYNN R. LANE AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DURING CRUISE HE APPEARED TO HAVE STRUCK THE TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING TO AVOID CLOUDS. THE FLIGHT WAS A PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER VFR. IT IS UNKNOWN IF MR. LANE FILED A FLIGHT PLAN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE PILOT HOLDS A PRIVATE AND COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE AND DOES NOT HAVE AN INSTRUMENT RATING. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT MIDLAND, TX. (.4) ON DECEMBER 12, 2001, APPROXIMATELY 2330 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A RYAN NAVION A SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N4530K, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AFTER IT IMPACTED TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR SIERRA BLANCA, TEXAS. THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT, WHO OWNED AND OPERATED THE AIRPLANE, AND HIS PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. NIGHT INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED MIDLAND, TEXAS, APPROXIMATELY 1930, AND WAS DESTINED FOR EL PASO, TEXAS. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE FROM MIDLAND, WHILE SITTING IN THE AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING FROM THE SAN ANGELO AUTOMATED FLIGHT SERVICE STATION (AFSS). ACCORDING TO A TAPE RECORDING OF THE WEATHER BRIEFING, THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER A FULL STOP LANDING TO EL PASO, THE FLIGHT WOULD CONTINUE TO PHOENIX, ARIZONA. THE BRIEFER STATED THERE WAS AN AIRMET FOR RIME ICING NEAR THE NEW MEXICO BORDER IN THE AREA NEAR EL PASO, TO WHICH THE PILOT RESPONDED, "I WILL BE VFR, I WILL NOT BE IN THE CLOUDS." THE EL PASO EXTENDED FORECAST, VALID TO 0500, REPORTED VISIBILITY 6 PLUS STATUTE MILES, OCCASIONAL 3 STATUTE MILES VISIBILITY, LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS, WITH FEW CLOUDS AT 3,000 FEET, CEILINGS 5,000 FEET BROKEN AND 12,000 FEET OVERCAST. THE PILOT STATED HIS INTENDED CRUISING ALTITUDE WOULD BE 6,000 FEET MSL WITH A POSSIBILITY OF CLIMBING TO 9,000 OR 10,000 FEET. DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW, CONDUCTED BY AN NTSB INVESTIGATOR, THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE "EN ROUTE UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES TO EL PASO, HE ENCOUNTERED CLOUDS." DURING A MANEUVER TO FLY OUT OF THE CLOUDS, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE TERRAIN. THE PILOT THEN ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT RESCUE PERSONNEL VIA A CELLULAR PHONE. A U.S. BORDER PATROL HELICOPTER, BASED AT EL PASO, ATTEMPTED TO RESPOND TO THE ACCIDENT LOCATION, HOWEVER, A SNOWSTORM HAD SUSPENDED THEIR EFFORTS. THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE LOCATED BY U.S. BORDER PATROL PERSONNEL APPROXIMATELY 0520 ON DECEMBER 13. THE ELEVATION AT THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS ESTIMATED AT 5,000 FEET MSL. AT 2251, THE WEATHER OBSERVATION FACILITY IN EL PASO, LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 45 NAUTICAL MILES NORTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, REPORTED THE WIND FROM 310 DEGREES AT 11 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, FEW CLOUDS AT 4,000 FEET, OVERCAST CEILING AT 7,500 FEET, TEMPERATURE 39 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, DEWPOINT 25 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, AND AN ALTIMETER SETTING OF 30.04 INCHES OF MERCURY. AT 0051, THE WEATHER OBSERVATION FACILITY IN EL PASO REPORTED THE WIND FROM 150DEGREES AT 4 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 5 STATUTE MILES, DECREASING SNOW, SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 2,000 FEET, BROKEN CEILING AT 3,300 FEET, OVERCAST CEILING AT 6,000 FEET, TEMPERATURE 36 DEGRESS FAHRENHEIT, DEWPOINT 30 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, AND AN ALTIMETER SETTING OF 30.07 INCHES OF MERCURY. NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO OBTAIN A COMPLETED PILOT/OPERATOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT (NTSB FORM 6120.1/2) FROM THE PILOT AND A PASSENGER STATEMENT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. ## 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 FTW02LA053](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA053), Dec 13, 2001: Ryan Navion A (N4530K), Sierra Blanca, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's inadverent VFR flight into instrument meteorological weather conditions which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain. Contributing factors were the night light conditions and the… 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.