# NTSB FTW01FA101: Piper PA-34-220T, N4312G, Brackettville, TX, April 23, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report - Date: April 22, 2001, 23:46 local (Apr 23, 2001, 04:46 UTC) - Place: Brackettville, TX - Coordinates: 29.533332, -100.300003 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.5333&lon=-100.3000&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 2 fatal, 2 serious - Status: Completed, report February 5, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: The New Piper Aircraft, Inc., Teledyne Continental Motors, FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 52115 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW01FA101 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/52115/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01FA101 ## Probable cause the pilot's intentional low flight and his poor judgment to intentionally fly into known adverse weather, which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain. Contributing factors were the dark night conditions and the thunderstorm. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with terrain/water, maneuvering - terrain condition - mountainous/hilly - light condition - dark night (contributing factor) - weather condition - thunderstorm (contributing factor) - low altitude flight/maneuver - intentional, pilot in command (cause) - flight into known adverse weather - attempted, pilot in command (cause) - judgment - poor, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis The pilot obtained three weather briefings prior to takeoff for a visual flight rules night cross-country flight. According to the weather briefings, thunderstorms, heavy rain and hail were forecast for the destination area. The pilot radioed a flight service station over a flight watch frequency while en route to obtain updated weather for the destination. The pilot was informed that rain had passed through the destination airport area within the previous hour and that there were thunderstorms northwest of the airport. The airplane disappeared from radar 13 minutes following this in-flight weather update. The radar data depicted the airplane descending from 2,800 feet to 2,300 feet prior to disappearing from radar coverage. The last two radar returns depicted the airplane making a turn towards the northwest. One of the surviving passengers stated that while en route, "the weather started getting bad." The airplane struck trees in hilly terrain approximately 1,675 feet msl. No aircraft or engine anomalies were noted that would have prevented normal operations. The pilot's toxicology tests indicated that he was taking sertraline, an antidepressant medication. The FAA did not issue the pilot a medical certificate at the time of his last medical application. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 22, 2001, at 2346 central daylight time, a Piper PA-34-220T twin-engine airplane, N4312G, was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain while maneuvering near Brackettville, Texas. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual. The airline transport pilot and one passenger were fatally injured, and two other passengers were seriously injured. Dark night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The cross-country flight departed San Antonio, Texas, approximately 2300, and was destined for Del Rio, Texas. According to the FAA, U.S. Border Patrol personnel, and local authorities, the pilot called the San Angelo Flight Service Station (FSS) and requested a weather briefing for his route of flight three times prior to departing. While en route, the pilot called the San Angelo FSS and requested an additional weather briefing for his flight. The surviving passenger told Border Patrol personnel that they "encountered weather and knew there was something wrong." The passenger added that he had unfastened his seat belt in order to listen to what the pilot was saying when the airplane started to impact trees and terrain. The local authorities were notified that the airplane had not reached its destination. A search was initiated and the aircraft was located by Border Patrol approximately 12 hours after the accident. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot held an airline transport certificate with single and multiengine land airplane ratings. He also held a flight instructor certificate, which was valid until January 31, 2002. The pilot's logbook was not located during the investigation. The pilot applied for a medical certificate on September 17, 1998; however, the medical certificate was never issued to the pilot. The pilot indicated on the medical application that he had accumulated 21,000 total flight hours. It is unknown how many hours the pilot had in the accident airplane, how much night time he had accumulated, or how much actual instrument flight time he had logged. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The 1983-model airplane was powered by two Continental TSIO-360-KB(1) engines and two McCauley 3-bladed propellers. The right engine and right propeller logbook were located at the accident site. The airframe, left engine, and left propeller logbooks were not found. Review of the right engine logbook revealed that it underwent its last 100-hour inspection on April 3, 2000, at an engine total time of 1,893.2 hours. It is unknown whether an overhaul had been accomplished on the engine. The last recorded maintenance activity where an engine total time was entered was an engine oil change in July 2000, at an engine time of 1,925.5 hours. It is unknown how much time the airframe had accumulated at the time of the accident. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION On April 22, 2001, the pilot obtained four weather briefings concerning the accident flight. The first weather briefing took place between 1443 and 1446. The pilot requested current and forecasted weather for San Antonio (SAT) and Del Rio (DRT) between 2200 and 2300. The pilot was given the SAT weather forecast, which called for rain showers in the vicinity, and broken ceilings at 2,500 feet and 20,000 feet until 2200. After 2200, the SAT weather forecast called for thunderstorms and heavy rain showers and lower ceilings. The DRT forecast between 1900 and 2000, called for thunderstorms in the vicinity and broken ceilings at 6,000 and 15,000 feet. The forecast also called for occasional wind gusts from 30 to 55 knots, 1/2-statute mile visibility in thunderstorms, heavy rain, and hail, and overcast ceilings at 1,400 and 30,000 feet until 0100. The pilot was also given Airmet Tango, which forecasted moderate turbulence below 18,000 feet. The second weather briefing took place between 2031 and 2035. The pilot stated that he was going from SAT to Eagle Pass (5T9) and requested radar summary information for that area. The pilot was told that radar data in the DRT area depicted a line of light to moderate precipitation to the west, southwest moving east. The pilot requested the current ceilings and was given the DRT current conditions, which reported visibility greater than 10 statute miles and clear skies below 12,000 feet. He was also informed that Laughlin Air Force Base (DLF) radar data depicted thunderstorms 15 miles to the southwest moving east. The pilot requested the forecast for SAT, and was given the following information: showers in the vicinity, wind from the southeast with gusts to 20 knots, broken and overcast ceilings at 2,500 and 5,000 feet respectively, after 2200, occasional broken and overcast ceilings at 1,800 and 3,000 feet respectively. The pilot asked what time the cold front was forecast to go through the route, and was told that the front was making its way over to his route, and the DLF forecast called for heavy thunderstorms, hail, heavy rain, overcast ceilings at 3,000 feet, and visibility 1/2-statute mile until 2300. The pilot ended the second weather briefing by saying, "that's about the time I'm supposed to arrive down there at Eagle Pass. I'll call back." The third weather briefing took place between 2110 and 2113. The pilot indicated that he was going from SAT to 5T9 and wanted the current DRT weather, the ceiling at SAT, and a radar data update for the last hour. The pilot was given an amended Airmet Tango for turbulence below 10,000 feet. The current DRT weather was wind from 090 at 8 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, and a few clouds at 8,500 feet. The current DLF weather was reported as scattered clouds at 5,000 feet, visibility 7 statute miles in thunderstorms, and thunderstorms 33 miles southwest of DLF moving east with lightning cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground. The pilot asked if the weather was as far south as 5T9, and was told that 33 miles southwest of DLF put the weather "pretty close to 5T9." The pilot then stated that 5T9 was 31 miles from DLF, and asked if the briefer meant nautical miles. The pilot then asked for the SAT current weather and was told that there were broken clouds at 2,200 feet and overcast clouds at 2,900 feet. The pilot asked for the clouds over Hondo, Texas, and was told that they were broken at 2,600 feet. The pilot ended the third weather briefing with "O.K., I'm supposed to get out of here at 2130. I'll give it a try. I'll give you a call..." The fourth weather briefing took place between 2323 and 2325. The pilot radioed the San Angelo Flight Service Station over flight watch frequency 123.65 Mhz, and indicated that they were en route in the vicinity of Uvalde, Texas (approximately 40 nautical miles southeast of the accident site). The pilot requested the current weather at DRT and was informed that the wind was from 100 degrees at 13 knots gusting to 19 knots, the visibility was 10 statute miles, there were a few clouds at 6,000 feet, and that rain had begun and ended within the previous hour. The briefer also informed the pilot that there was a line of thunderstorms northwest of DRT. The pilot asked if there was any weather between DRT and 5T9, and was told that DLF was depicting thunderstorms 32 miles northwest, moving southeast with occasional lightning cloud-to-cloud, cloud-to-ground. There was no other radio communication with the pilot. On June 13, 2001, the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) spoke with one of the surviving passengers, who was seated in the forward facing right rear seat during the accident. According to the passenger, who held a private pilot certificate with an instrument airplane rating, they were flying in dark, night conditions, and "the weather started getting bad." The passenger heard the pilot talking on the radio attempting to get a weather update. The passenger unbuckled his seat belt ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4312G](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4312G-2002-01-25), registration cancelled 2002-01-25, S/N 34-8333114, built 1983 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-34-220T - Registry model: [Piper PA-34-220T](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-220t) (registry code 7103420) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental TSIO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (registry code 17019, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 34-8333114 - Engines: Continental LTSIO-360-KB 200 horsepower reciprocating; Continental TSIO-360-KB 200 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Homer Lewis - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, April 2, 2000 - Departed: SAT, San Antonio, TX - Destination: DRT, Del Rio, TX ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 65; injuries: fatal; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: unknown, expired; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 21,000 total ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Night/dark - Wind: 110° at 11 knots, gusting 18 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 29.84 inHg - Observed at: DRT, 40 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20010422006579A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010422006579A), Apr 22, 2001: Brackettville, TX, No damage. (-19) On April 22, 2001, at 2346 CDT, a Piper PA34-220T twin-engine airplane, N4312G, was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain while manuevering near… 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. --- 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.