- Date
- March 24, 2012, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Casterville, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N602BVSmith Aerostar 601P
- Defining event
- Approach-circling (IFR): Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 14, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120324003739A
- Case key
- 83219
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot did not maintain control of the airplane while circling to land.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot flew a global positioning system approach and, though he was able to see the runway upon reaching the missed approach point, he stated that he was not able to land the airplane. He then decided to circle to land with full flaps while maintaining an airspeed of 140 mph. The airplane entered an “unusually high” sink rate during the turn; the pilot added full power and leveled the wings, but the airplane continued to descend. The airplane impacted the ground off the end of and to the right of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot flew the GPS approach and stated he was able to see the runway upon reaching the missed approach point; however, he was not “in a position” to land the airplane. He stated he decided to circle to land with full flaps while maintaining an airspeed of 140 miles per hour. The airplane entered an “unusually high” sink rate during the turn. The pilot added full power and leveled the wings, but the airplane continued to descend. The airplane impacted the terrain off the end of and to the right of the runway. The airplane received substantial damage to the left wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures/malfunctions which resulted in the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N602BV
- Reported as
- Smith Aerostar 601P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 61P-0338-099
- Engines
- Lycoming IO-540 SER, 300 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming IO-540 SER, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Louis F. Fabre
- Registered owner
- Specialized Psychopharmacology Specialities LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 15, 2011 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- AXH · Arcola, TX
- Destination
- CBV · Casterville, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- CBV · Casterville Municipal Airport, runway 15, 4,600 × 75 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 5, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,402 total · 267 in this make and model · 25 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- CVB
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 1, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 662 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.