- Date
- September 17, 1987, 01:52 local (06:52 UTC)
- Place
- Lubbock, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5449GCessna 340A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report October 6, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870917053379A
- Case key
- 22432
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
The pilot did not declare an emergency or mention to the tower controller that his fuel was low. He was first told to enter right traffic for runway 17R but was subsequently told to enter right traffic for runway 26. (This was to allow a dea aircraft, at its pilot's request, to land before the Cessna 340A aircraft. Dea aircraft reportedly had been trailing the Cessna since it crossed the border from Mexico into the united states). Shortly afterwards the Cessna pilot informed the Lubbock control tower that he was landing on runway 17. The aircraft experienced fuel exhaustion and impacted in a cotton field about two miles northeast of the airport before the landing could be accomplished. A post accident examination reportedly revealed that illegal cargo was aboard the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5449G
- Reported as
- Cessna 340A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 340A0686
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-NB, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- J-Lyte
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- LBB · Lubbock, TX
- Airport
- LBB · Lubbock Int'L
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
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LBB, 4 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.