- Date
- June 1, 1992, 15:50 local (20:50 UTC)
- Place
- El Campo, TX
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8230RBellanca 17-30A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 4, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920601017309A
- Case key
- 18360
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 maintain adequate airspeed.
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 had landed at a closed airport en route to his destination. He told witnesses at the airport that there were thunderstorms at his destination, and that was why he decided to stop. He then reboarded the airplane and departed. Shortly thereafter, the airplane was observed flying at about 100 feet AGL in an area about 5 miles north of the closed airport. Witnesses who were in a van stated that they observed the airplane drop below a tree line and then reappear. As the airplane passed parallel to the van, it was observed to enter a steep right turn and then nose down into the ground. No evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction was found. The pilot's certificate had been issued under an alias which the dea and customs service said the pilot had used over the years. The pilot's toxicology study indicated 0.32 milligrams per liter of methaqualone (quaalude) in his liver tissue.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8230R
- Reported as
- Bellanca 17-30A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30416
- Airframe hours
- 1,800
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-K, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- King, Jay
- Registered owner
- King, Jay
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- Laredo, TX
- Destination
- DWH · Tomball, TX
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
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 300 total · 300 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PSX, 20 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.