- Date
- May 1, 1983, 20:50 local (May 2, 1983, 01:50 UTC)
- Place
- Port Aransas, TX
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N34581Cessna 177B
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830501018739A
- Case key
- 20887
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
During a wx briefing, the non-instrument rated plt was told to expect no significant en route wx, but was advised of lower ceilings along the coastline, later that night. There were no records of en route wx briefings. When the acft was about 40 mi northwest of the destination, the plt contacted corpus christi apch control & was advised of IFR wx in the vicinity. He requested & was provided radar vectors to his destination, but was unsuccessful in finding the arpt. The plt then reported that he was 'unable to get down' & requested vectors to corpus christi. He was again advised of IFR conditions at corpus christi. When asked if he could fly an IFR apch, he gave a negative reply. He also reported that he was in IFR conditions & had insufficient fuel to fly to san antonio. Subsequently, radar contact was lost aprx 2 mi southeast of the arpt. Later, both occupants & acft debris were found where the had washed on or near the shore form the gulf of Mexico.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N34581
- Reported as
- Cessna 177B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17701886
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1F6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bill Murray & Loil Ballentine
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SJT · San Angelo, TX
- Airport
- 2R8 · Mustang Beach, runway 30, 3,500 × 75 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
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 475 total · 100 in this make and model · 400 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 170° at 20 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- NGP, 13 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.