# Accident 20020204001299A: Piper PA31T, Hobbs, NM, February 4, 2002 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: February 4, 2002, 17:05 local time - Place: Hobbs, NM - Airport: Lea County-Hobbs Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Final Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 32.6875° N, 103.2169° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.6875&lon=-103.2169&mi=10 - Aircraft: N794CA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N794CA-2002-04-22) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-31T (registry code 7103124, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31t) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60A (registry code 52043, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pt6a-60a) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA31T - Reported engine: PWA PT6A28 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 2,800 total, 1,000 in this make and model, 35 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW02LA076](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA076) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020204001299A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) ON FEBRUARY 4, 2002, MR. CALHOON WAS THE PIC OF N794CA, A PIPER PA-31T, BEING OPERATED IN IMC CONDITIONS FROM LAS TO HOB. ON THE SECOND ILS RUNWAY 3 APPROACH TO HOB, N794CA STRUCK THE GROUND 1.73 MILES FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY COMING TO REST 1.5 MILES FROM THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. MR. CALHOON RECEIVED MAJOR FACIAL LACERATIONS REQUIRING A MULTIDAY STAY IN THE HOSPITAL. THERE WERE NO OTHER OCCUPANTS IN THE AIRCRAFT. MR. CALHOON INDICATED THAT ON THE APPROACH HE REALIZED HE WAS HIGH ON THE GLIDESPORT AND GAVE THE AIRCRAFT SOME NOSE DOWN TRIM. HE BECAME DISTRACTED AND NEVER REALIZED HE HAD FLOWN THROUGH THE GLIDESLOPE UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN. THE ALTIMETER HAD THE CORRECT SETTING AND SHOWED CORRECT CRASH SCENE ELEVATION. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (.4) ON FEBRUARY 4, 2002, AT 1907 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-31T MULTI-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N794CA, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN DURING AN INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM (ILS) APPROACH TO RUNWAY 3 AT THE LEA COUNTY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, HOBBS, NEW MEXICO. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. DARK NIGHT INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, AT 1700. IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS BEING VECTORED ONTO THE ILS RUNWAY 3 AT HOBBS BY FORT WORTH CENTER (FTW ARTCC). AFTER STABILIZING, THE APPROACH WAS "NORMAL." AT DECISION ALTITUDE, HE INDICATED THAT HE COULD SEE THE APPROACH LIGHTS AND THE RUNWAY, BUT WAS NOT IN A POSITION TO LAND SO HE EXECUTED A MISSED APPROACH. AFTER BEING VECTORED AROUND FOR ANOTHER APPROACH, HE STATED THAT HE WAS ON THE LOCALIZER BUT WAS "HIGH" ON THE GLIDE SLOPE. AFTER GIVING "A LITTLE" NOSE DOWN PITCH, HE BECAME DISTRACTED WHEN THE AUTO-PILOT BECAME "ACCIDENTALLY DISENGAGED." THE PILOT STATED THAT HE "INADVERTENTLY DESCENDED THROUGH THE GLIDE SLOPE AND IMPACTED THE GROUND SHORT OF THE RUNWAY." HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE "FIRST INDICATION" THAT HE WAS LOW WAS WHEN THE AIRCRAFT "STRUCK THE GROUND." THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACT. THE FAA CONDUCTED A FACILITYCHECK OF THE ILS RUNWAY 3 APPROACH ON FEBRUARY 6, 2002. ALL PARAMETERS WERE FOUND WITHIN NORMAL SPECIFICATIONS. ## 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 FTW02LA076](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA076), Feb 5, 2002: Piper PA-31T (N794CA), Hobbs, NM, destroyed. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to maintain the proper glidepath during the instrument approach. Contributing factors were the dark night light conditions and the pilot's diverted attention. 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.