- Date
- August 23, 2001, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Van Horn, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N91187Piper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 29, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Adminsitration
- FAA report
- 20010823025919A
- Case key
- 53456
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's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall. A factor contributing to the accident was the high density altitude.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The border patrol pilot was performing routine patrol duties over rolling terrain at an estimated altitude of about 500 feet above ground level. While making a right turn and crossing a ridge, "the bottom fell out." The pilot applied full power and leveled the wings in order to recover; however, his actions were not sufficient to arrest the rate of descent and the airplane impacted the next ridge line. Examination of the airframe and engine after the accident did not reveal any anomalies that could have prevented normal flight operations. The calculated density altitude at the time of the accident was approximately 7,428 feet.
Factual narrative
On August 23, 2001, approximately 1800 central daylight time, a Piper PA-18-150 single-engine airplane, N91178, registered to and operated by the U.S. Border Patrol of Marfa, Texas, was destroyed upon impact with terrain following a loss of control while maneuvering near Van Horn, Texas. The instrument rated commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 Public Use flight. The aerial observation flight originated from Marfa, Texas, at 1530.
In the enclosed NTSB From 6120.1/2, the 1,668-hour pilot reported that he was performing routine patrol duties over rolling terrain at an estimated altitude of about 500 feet above ground level. The pilot added that he "made a right turn and crossed a ridge when the bottom fell out." The pilot further stated that he applied full power and leveled the wings in order to recover; however, his actions were not sufficient to arrest the rate of descent and the airplane impacted the next ridge line.
The FAA inspector, who traveled to the accident site, confirmed that the airplane was destroyed by impact forces. Examination of the 1981 model airplane, which at the time of the accident had accumulated a total of 8,889 hours, did not reveal any anomalies that could have prevented normal flight operations. Company records confirmed that the pilot had accumulated a total of 1,668 hours, of which 192 hours were in the same make and model of airplane.
At the time of the accident, density altitude was calculated by the NTSB investigator-in-charge as 7,428 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N91187
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8109079
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Part 91
- Registered owner
- US Border Patrol Air Operations
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- MRF · Marfa, TX
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 39
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- March 28, 2001
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,668 total · 192 in this make and model · 119 as pilot in command · 104 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 100 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.