- Date
- June 19, 1991, 08:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Big Spring, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5459ECessna C182R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910619022689A
- Case key
- 23267
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
The pilot's failure to recover from an aerobatic maneuver due to insufficient altitude.
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 airplane was conducting aerial pipeline survey, when an eyewitness observed the airplane to pull up into a steep climb, execute a wing over type maneuver, followed by a steep dive. The airplane collided with the ground in a wings level, slightly nose high attitude. The initial impact scars and propeller strikes indicated a high vertical sink rate. The forward velocity was approximately 142 knots based upon the propeller slash marks. Additionally, the total ground travel was 285 feet excluding the main wheel assemblies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5459E
- Reported as
- Cessna C182R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18268324
- Airframe hours
- 5,768
- Engine
- Continental O-47OU-11, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Cosden Pipeline Company
- Registered owner
- Cosden Pipeline Company
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 15, 1991 · 67 hours before
- Departed
- 21XS · Big Spring, TX
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,507 total · 315 in this make and model · 52 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.