- Date
- October 25, 2013, 11:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Raymondville, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N20587Cessna 172M
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 3, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20131025020559A
- Case key
- 88339
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 operation of an airplane by a non-certificated pilot. Contributing to the accident was his failure to maintain airspeed following a total loss of engine power at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Also contributing was the pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 4
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 non-certificated pilot said he flew his unregistered airplane for about 2 hours "recreationally" before attempting to land at a privately owned airport, where he said the airplane was scheduled to have an annual inspection completed. The pilot said a gust of wind blew the airplane off course while on final approach and he attempted to go-around. The airplane then stalled and impacted a field short of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall and empennage. Though the pilot did not report an engine failure, examination of the airplane revealed both fuel tanks were empty and damage to the propeller was consistent with it not turning at the time of impact. The pilot reported there were no mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane and engine. The pilot did not have a valid Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical and had a reported history of a stroke. The pilot's daughter also reported that her father was starting to show symptoms of Sundowner's Syndrome.
Factual narrative
The non-certificated pilot said he flew his unregistered airplane for about 2 hours "recreationally" before attempting to land at a privately owned airport, where he said the airplane was scheduled to have an annual inspection completed. The pilot said a gust of wind blew the airplane off course while on final approach and he attempted to go-around. The airplane then stalled and impacted a field short of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall and empennage. Though the pilot did not report an engine failure, examination of the airplane revealed both fuel tanks were empty and damage to the propeller was consistent with it not turning at the time of impact. The pilot reported there were no mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane and engine. The pilot did not have a valid Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical and had a reported history of a stroke. The pilot's daughter also reported that her father was starting to show symptoms of Sundowner's Syndrome.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20587
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M (M)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17261419
- Built
- 1973
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hernandez Cesar
- Registered owner
- Hernandez Cesar
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 67R · Rio Grande City, TX
- Destination
- XS56 · Raymondville, TX
- Airport
- XS56 · Bell Airfield, runway 08, 3,000 × 85 ft, dirt
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
- 67
- Injuries
- Serious
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 8 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 18 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- HRL, 15 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 18, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 MB 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.