What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 31, 2019, around 1610 CST. Airplane Mooney M20K with registration number N56359 crashed about 75 yards from residence privacy data omitted. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane departed el paso (elp) enroute to west houston airport (iws). The pilot (calvert james waller) was flying in IMC conditions, (he did not have IFR ratings on his certificate). Mr waller descended from approximately 2500 ft through the clouds after talking to the tower (I90). After decending, his airplane was approximately flying at 25 ft AGL when he struck power lines and tree branches at the intersection of westfield pines Dr. And kieth harrow blvd. The airplane flew under the powerlines. The propeller showed signs of knife like shaving and a small quarter size gouge at leading edge of propeller which shows the evidence of the prop strike with the power lines. The vertical stabilizer struck the rest of the power lines crushing almost 70 percent of the vertical stabilizer. Two witnesses interviewed by deputy gabriel with the harris county sheriff department privacy data omitted although at separate locations both indicated that at about 4:10 pm they observed the low flying aircraft traveling in a northwest direction. privacy data omitted Told the deputy that she saw the airplane when it clipped the power lines at the intersection and saw the aircraft immediately go nose up then she heard the engine sputter and the aircraft go nose down, almost in a nose dive. Both privacy data omitted and privacy data omitted stated they lost visual of the aircraft when it was climbing and saw it going down, but did not hear any loud sounds or see any smoke. Other witnesses reported that the engine was running at the time he struck the power lines (sounded like a race car going through the neighborhood). The owner of the house next to the accident mentioned that he was upstairs when he heard the airplane and when it impacted the ground. "It felt like an earthquake". He ran to the scene to offer help, he knocked on the fuselage to see if he heard anyone, which he did not, he saw the fuel spilling out of the wings and ran away thinking the aircraft was going to blow up. He then called 911.
The airplane hit nose first at around a 75 degree angle, the engine was buried approximately six feet deep in soft mud. All the major components were in the area of impact.
The weather reported at 1555 CST was 12008G13 4SM ?ra, ovc 010 14/14 A3010. VFR flight plan with flight following was on file. ATC reported they were flight following N56359 and talking to the pilot.
There was no post crash fire.
The day prior to this flight his spouse (interviewed by courtney liedler NTSB investigator) mentioned that the aircraft was having electrical problems. When they were flying from California to el paso, Texas (elp) the couple departed from ferndale California area and made a stop for fuel in laughlin/bullhead international airport (ifp), bullhead city, Arizona. On final approach into ifp, the spouse reported they received a low battery indication. After refueling the voltage was showing to be at 14.9 volts. They continued with the trip. Then approximately 15 miles out from (elp)Mr. Calvert called the tower to let them know he was having electrical issues. They had to use a flashlight to land the airplane. They decided to stay the night at el paso and mentioned that most likely the alternator was going bad. She took a commercial flight from el paso Texas thus she had to work the next day and he did not want her to get stuck if the airplane went down for maintenance.
Alternator was sent to NTSB lab for further inspection.
Report may be amended upon outcome of NTSB results.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 31, 2019, AROUND 1610 CST. AIRPLANE MOONEY M20K WITH REGISTRATION NUMBER N56359 CRASHED ABOUT 75 YARDS FROM RESIDENCE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED EL PASO (ELP) ENROUTE TO WEST HOUSTON AIRPORT (IWS). THE PILOT (CALVERT JAMES WALLER) WAS FLYING IN IMC CONDITIONS, (HE DID NOT HAVE IFR RATINGS ON HIS CERTIFICATE). MR WALLER DESCENDED FROM APPROXIMATELY 2500 FT THROUGH THE CLOUDS AFTER TALKING TO THE TOWER (I90). AFTER DECENDING, HIS AIRPLANE WAS APPROXIMATELY FLYING AT 25 FT AGL WHEN HE STRUCK POWER LINES AND TREE BRANCHES AT THE INTERSECTION OF WESTFIELD PINES DR. AND KIETH HARROW BLVD. THE AIRPLANE FLEW UNDER THE POWERLINES. THE PROPELLER SHOWED SIGNS OF KNIFE LIKE SHAVING AND A SMALL QUARTER SIZE GOUGE AT LEADING EDGE OF PROPELLER WHICH SHOWS THE EVIDENCE OF THE PROP STRIKE WITH THE POWER LINES. THE VERTICAL STABILIZER STRUCK THE REST OF THE POWER LINES CRUSHING ALMOST 70 PERCENT OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER. TWO WITNESSES INTERVIEWED BY DEPUTY GABRIEL WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ALTHOUGH AT SEPARATE LOCATIONS BOTH INDICATED THAT AT ABOUT 4:10 PM THEY OBSERVED THE LOW FLYING AIRCRAFT TRAVELING IN A NORTHWEST DIRECTION. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TOLD THE DEPUTY THAT SHE SAW THE AIRPLANE WHEN IT CLIPPED THE POWER LINES AT THE INTERSECTION AND SAW THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY GO NOSE UP THEN SHE HEARD THE ENGINE SPUTTER AND THE AIRCRAFT GO NOSE DOWN, ALMOST IN A NOSE DIVE. BOTH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THEY LOST VISUAL OF THE AIRCRAFT WHEN IT WAS CLIMBING AND SAW IT GOING DOWN, BUT DID NOT HEAR ANY LOUD SOUNDS OR SEE ANY SMOKE. OTHER WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AT THE TIME HE STRUCK THE POWER LINES (SOUNDED LIKE A RACE CAR GOING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD). THE OWNER OF THE HOUSE NEXT TO THE ACCIDENT MENTIONED THAT HE WAS UPSTAIRS WHEN HE HEARD THE AIRPLANE AND WHEN IT IMPACTED THE GROUND. "IT FELT LIKE AN EARTHQUAKE". HE RAN TO THE SCENE TO OFFER HELP, HE KNOCKED ON THE FUSELAGE TO SEE IF HE HEARD ANYONE, WHICH HE DID NOT, HE SAW THE FUEL SPILLING OUT OF THE WINGS AND RAN AWAY THINKING THE AIRCRAFT WAS GOING TO BLOW UP. HE THEN CALLED 911.
THE AIRPLANE HIT NOSE FIRST AT AROUND A 75 DEGREE ANGLE, THE ENGINE WAS BURIED APPROXIMATELY SIX FEET DEEP IN SOFT MUD. ALL THE MAJOR COMPONENTS WERE IN THE AREA OF IMPACT.
THE WEATHER REPORTED AT 1555 CST WAS 12008G13 4SM ?RA, OVC 010 14/14 A3010. VFR FLIGHT PLAN WITH FLIGHT FOLLOWING WAS ON FILE. ATC REPORTED THEY WERE FLIGHT FOLLOWING N56359 AND TALKING TO THE PILOT.
THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE.
THE DAY PRIOR TO THIS FLIGHT HIS SPOUSE (INTERVIEWED BY COURTNEY LIEDLER NTSB INVESTIGATOR) MENTIONED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. WHEN THEY WERE FLYING FROM CALIFORNIA TO EL PASO, TEXAS (ELP) THE COUPLE DEPARTED FROM FERNDALE CALIFORNIA AREA AND MADE A STOP FOR FUEL IN LAUGHLIN/BULLHEAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (IFP), BULLHEAD CITY, ARIZONA. ON FINAL APPROACH INTO IFP, THE SPOUSE REPORTED THEY RECEIVED A LOW BATTERY INDICATION. AFTER REFUELING THE VOLTAGE WAS SHOWING TO BE AT 14.9 VOLTS. THEY CONTINUED WITH THE TRIP. THEN APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES OUT FROM (ELP)MR. CALVERT CALLED THE TOWER TO LET THEM KNOW HE WAS HAVING ELECTRICAL ISSUES. THEY HAD TO USE A FLASHLIGHT TO LAND THE AIRPLANE. THEY DECIDED TO STAY THE NIGHT AT EL PASO AND MENTIONED THAT MOST LIKELY THE ALTERNATOR WAS GOING BAD. SHE TOOK A COMMERCIAL FLIGHT FROM EL PASO TEXAS THUS SHE HAD TO WORK THE NEXT DAY AND HE DID NOT WANT HER TO GET STUCK IF THE AIRPLANE WENT DOWN FOR MAINTENANCE.
ALTERNATOR WAS SENT TO NTSB LAB FOR FURTHER INSPECTION.
REPORT MAY BE AMENDED UPON OUTCOME OF NTSB RESULTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N56359 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.