- Date
- November 9, 1982, 15:50 local (22:50 UTC)
- Place
- El Paso, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8705PPiper PA-24-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19821109057879A
- Case key
- 70570
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
While on a business cross country flight the fuel pressure began dropping with a subsequent drop in power. The pilot attempted to reduce manifold pressure to keep the engine running. Approximately 3-5 miles from El Paso airport the pilot landed on the desert. During landing the aircraft struck a mound of sand and ground looped. An examination of the engine did not reveal any reason for loss of fuel flow and engine stoppage.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8705P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 244152
- Airframe hours
- 2,043
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-D, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Central Machinery Company
- Registered owner
- Central Machinery Company
- Departed
- SAT · San Antonio, TX
- Destination
- CGZ · Casa Grande, AZ
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
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 571 total · 427 in this make and model · 388 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Temperature
- 149 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
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 N8705P · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.