- Date
- October 8, 1988, 14:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- San Benito, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N67921Douglas A-20G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881008045749A
- Case key
- 22739
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
Incapacitation of the pilot while flying an aircraft due to loss of consciousness from a cardiac rhythm disturbance.
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 70 yr old plt was flying a Douglas A-20 in a flt of 3 acft at an airshow (confederate air force 'airshow 88'). Afterflying on a southerly hdg, the flt entered a procedure turn which involved a 90 deg left turn to the east followed by a 270 deg rgt turn back northbound. While mnvrg, the A-20 entered a right descending turn & subsequently crashed on level terrain in a relatively wings level descent. The main wreckage came to rest about 225' from the initial impact point. According to a pathological rprt, the plt had severe coronary arteriosclerosis & suffered a heart attack.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N67921
- Reported as
- Douglas A-20G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21857
- Engine
- Wright R-2600-23, 1,350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Confederate Air Force
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- AAIP · November 6, 1987 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- HRL · Harlingen, TX
- Airport
- HRL · Rio Grande Valley Intl
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
- 70
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 26,100 total · 24,623 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.