- Date
- March 14, 1982, 20:19 local (Mar 15, 1982, 02:19 UTC)
- Place
- Mcallen, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9846ZBeech C-45H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 14, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820314056759A
- Case key
- 71615
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
About 18 minutes after takeoff, the pilot radioed that the no. 2 engine had lost power and that he was returning to land at Mcallen, TX. While approaching to land, the aircraft crashed in an open field about 400 yards short of the runway and 115 feet right of the approach lights. During impact, the aircraft was in an inverted attitude, in about a 150 degree right roll and 15 degrees nose down. After impact, an intense fire erupted. An examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact malfunction or failure except that the right propeller blades were set at 65 degrees. The angle of the blades should have been 86 degrees when in the full feathered position. The aircraft was estimated to be 753 lbs over its maximum gross weight limit at the time of the accident. With the gear down and flaps up, the VMC was calculated to be 92 mph with the propeller windmilling and 87 mph with the propeller feathered.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9846Z
- Reported as
- Beech C-45H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AF-397
- Airframe hours
- 4,544
- Engine
- P & W R-985-14B, 400 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Robert Ramos
- Registered owner
- Robert Ramos
- Departed
- MFE · Mcallen, TX
- Destination
- Veracruz
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- MFE · Miller International, runway 13, 7,103 × 150 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
- 38
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 7,992 total · 614 in this make and model · 3,995 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 130° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Temperature
- 174 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MF3
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N9846Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.