- Date
- November 8, 1990, 18:05 local (Nov 9, 1990, 00:05 UTC)
- Place
- Nacogdoches, TX
- Injuries
- 5 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N23NSPiper 601P
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 19, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901108049319A
- Case key
- 23236
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
Failure of the pilot to follow IFR procedures and maintain the proper altitude. Factors related to the accident were: the adverse weather conditions, dark night, low fuel state of the aircraft, and trees at the accident site.
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
At abt 1744 CST, bfr reaching his destn, the plt rprtd that during the flt, he had enctrd head winds & had only 50 min of fuel remaining. He was provided preferential hndlg, but another flt was also low on fuel. The plt was clrd for an ndbrwy 15 apch. At 1756:49, he acknowledged clnc for the apch. At aprx 1800, UNICOM adzd the current wx was: 700' bkn, sky obscd with hvy rain, wnd variable fm 090 to 240 deg at 24 gstg 29 KTS. The plt did not acknowledge the wx, except to sayin a calm voice, 'I hope you have your lgts on.' The FBO heard svrl clicks on the UNICOM (as if to actvt the rwy lgts),then there was no further rdo ctc with the acft. The acft hit trees & crashed abt 6 mi wnw of the arpt. Witnesses rprtd it was at low alt & had reversed course bfr crashing on a southerly hdg. The main wreckage came to rest abt 380' fm the initial impact point with trees. No preimpact part failure/malfunction was fnd. Abt 42 mi sse at lufkin, the 1751 CST wxwas in part: 200' ovc, vis 3/4 mi with tstms, hvy rw & fog, wnd fm 020 deg at 12 KTS. Apch mins: 600' cig & 1 mi vis.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N23NS
- Reported as
- Piper 601P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 61P085481634
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- G.T. Contractors Inc.
- Departed
- 02J · Cordelle, GA
- Destination
- OCH
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
- Airport
- OCH · A.L.Mangham,Jr Rgnl, runway 15, 3,809 × 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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,500 total · 3,200 in this make and model · 2,900 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Observed at
- LFK, 42 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.