- Date
- August 11, 1996, 00:00 local (06:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hatch, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8992QAero Commander S2R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 18, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960811045499A
- Case key
- 19944
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
a loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
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 FAA inspector reported that the airplane experienced a loss of engine power and the pilot executed a forced landing on a river levee. During the landing roll out, the right wing impacted a pole resulting in structural damage to the wing and flap. There were no reported eyewitnesses to the accident. The pilot did not possess a Part 137 certificate for aerial application. The pilot did not return any of the several NTSB accident report forms that were sent to his last known address. Several telephone messages left for the pilot were unanswered and his current telephone number is unlisted.
Factual narrative
On August 11, 1996, at an unknown mountain daylight time, an Aero Commander S2R, N8992Q, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Hatch, New Mexico. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The aerial application airplane was being operated by the owner, under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from the Hatch Municipal Airport at an unknown time. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the non-certificated aerial application flight for which a flight plan was not filed.
The FAA inspector reported that the airplane experienced a loss of engine power and the pilot executed a forced landing on a river levee. During the landing roll out, the right wing impacted a pole resulting in structural damage to the wing and flap.
There were no reported eyewitnesses to the accident. A review of the FAA files revealed that at the time of the accident the pilot's flight physical had expired. Furthermore, the pilot did not possess a Part 137 certificate for aerial application.
The pilot did not return any of the several NTSB 6120.1/2 Forms that were sent to his last known address. Several telephone messages left for the pilot were unanswered and his current telephone number is unlisted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8992Q
- Reported as
- Aero Commander S2R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1662R
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Marc A. South
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- EO5
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
- 45
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Expired
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.