FTW97FA269

The VFR cross country flight was airborne for approximately 5 hours when the airplane impacted terrain in a hilly wooded area following a loss of engine power. The aircraft flight track was erratic with numerous heading and altitude changes and meandering in the vicinity of the Springhill NDB. The current Sectional Aeronautical Chart, found in the cockpit, showed the Springhill NDB at the airport. The NDB was found to be geographically located 3.8 miles south of the airport. Flight control and engine continuity were confirmed. Examination revealed that the integrity of the fuel system was not compromised. Twenty-three ounces of fuel were found in the left tank, zero ounces in the right tank, and 2 ounces in the fuel gascolator. An engine run did not produce any evidence that the engine was not capable of operating prior to the accident. The toxicology was positive for levels of 1.081 ug/ml methamphetamine detected in the blood and 6.293 ug/ml methamphetamine detected in the liver. At these levels, Dr. Canfield is of the 'opinion that the pilot would have been severely impaired.'

History of flight:

On July 15, 1997, at 1033 central daylight time, a Mooney M20C, N777TU, owned by a private individual dba Rio Vista Aviation, San Antonio, Texas, and operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91, impacted terrain following a loss of engine power near Sarepta, Louisiana. The private pilot, sole occupant, received fatal injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the planned cross country flight to Clarksville, Tennessee. A flight plan was not filed. The flight departed New Braunfels, Texas, approximately 0536.

During personal interviews, conducted by the investigator-in-charge (IIC), the owner, witnesses, and local authorities reported the following information. The pilot rented the airplane for the planned round trip flight to Clarksville, Tennessee. The airplane was refueled (Hobbs 164.0). On the evening of July 14, 1997, the pilot flew the airplane from the San Antonio International Airport, San Antonio, Texas, to New Braunfels (near the pilot's residence) for an early departure the following morning for the round trip flight to Clarksville. Following the accident, personnel at Clarksville reported that the aircraft had not landed at that airport.

Witnesses observed the airplane in the vicinity of the accident site flying in an easterly direction at an estimated altitude from 300 to 100 agl. The engine was not running and the propeller was turning. The witnesses did not hear or observe the impact and thought that the pilot had gotten the engine started and continued on his flight.

When the airplane did not return to San Antonio, the operator reported the over due flight to the DeRidder Flight Service Station (FSS). The supervisor at the FSS advised that an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was received on the morning of July 15, 1997, from the area northeast (46 DME 038 degree radial) of the Elm Grove VOR.

The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (RCC), Langley AFB, Virginia, initiated search and rescue at 1730 on July 15, 1997, with the Fort Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), DeRidder FSS, Civil Air Patrol (CAP), and local authorities. Intermittent ELT signals, terrain conditions, and fog hampered the search during the late night and the following early morning hours. The airborne aircraft (CAP) located the accident aircraft (North 32 degrees 54.56 minutes; West 093 degrees 24.24 minutes) at 1605 on July 16, 1997. The local authorities ground search team responded to the site.

Personnel information:

The pilot logbook and the FAA records, reviewed by the IIC, showed that the pilot satisfactorily completed a re-examination for the private pilot certificate (total flight time of 69.7 hours) on September 17, 1964. From March 1992 through February 1997, there were no entries in the pilot's logbook. After February 1997, the pilot received rental flight checks in the Cessna 172RG, Cessna 210, and Mooney M20C aircraft. The pilot had logged 797.0 hours total time of which 37.8 hours (35.6 solo; 2.2 dual) was in the Mooney M20C airplane.

During interviews, conducted by the IIC, and on the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), the operator reported that the pilot received a renter's ground and flight check (1.4 hours) in the airplane on July 14, 1997. During the ground portion of the check, the owner explained that the fuel burn was approximately 10 gph at altitudes above 10,000 feet msl and power settings of less than 23 inches of manifold pressure and 2,400 rpm. The flight check, conducted in the area of the San Antonio International Airport, San Antonio, Texas, and the New Braunfels Municipal Airport, New Braunfels, Texas, included steep turns, slow flight, configuration changes, and takeoffs, and landings.

Aircraft information:

The aircraft was manufactured in 1965 and a standard airworthiness certificate was issued on July 20, 1965, for N5838Q. FAA records revealed that the registration number was changed to N777TU in March 1992. The aircraft was registered to the current owner on February 3, 1994. A review of the maintenance records, by the IIC and the FAA inspector, revealed that the last annual inspection was performed and the airplane returned to service on January 1, 1997. Following a propeller strike, the engine was removed, overhauled, and re-installed on the aircraft. The Hartzell Propeller (Model HC-C3YR-1RF) was installed and the aircraft test flight was satisfactory on July 2, 1997.

Meteorological information:

The National Weather Service (NWS) for New Braunfels (K3R5) throughout the morning was reporting calm winds, visibility 9 to 10 statute miles, with clear sky conditions. Surface observations for Shreveport (34 miles southwest of the accident site) from midmorning until noon, were reporting the visibility from 7 to 10 statute miles with clear sky conditions.

Aids to navigation:

The 58th edition (April 24, 1997, through October 9, 1997) of the Memphis Sectional Aeronautical Chart published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for use in navigation was found in the aircraft cockpit. On this current sectional chart, the location of the Springhill NDB frequency 375, was shown to be located at the Springhill Airport.

Examination of the area near the accident site revealed that the Springhill NDB geographic location (North 32 degrees 55.22 minutes; 093 degrees 24.56 minutes) was approximately 4 miles south of the airport. The accident site (North 32 degrees 54.5 minutes; West 093 degrees 24.8 minutes) was less than one mile from the off airport Springhill NDB. The Airport Facility Directory, current on date of accident, listed the Springhill Airport (North 32 degrees 58.99 minutes; West 093 degrees 24.65 minutes) location as 3.8 nautical miles from the Springhill NDB. The NDB instrument approach procedure, current on date of accident, showed the Final Approach Fix (FAF) at 354 degrees 3.5 nautical miles from the Springhill NDB. The Low Altitude En Route Chart, current on date of accident, showed the Springhill Airport north of the Springhill NDB. See the wreckage and impact section and aerodrome information for additional details.

On July 14, 1992, the Springhill Airport on-airport NDB was NOTAMed out of service (OTS) indefinitely. On April 27, 1994, the City of Springhill submitted a request to the State of Louisiana for the relocation of the Non-directional Radio Beacon (SPH) to 3.3 nautical miles south of the Springhill Airport. On June 20, 1994, the City of Springhill submitted a request to the State of Louisiana for the deletion of the existing Springhill Airport on-airport NDB Runway 17 approach. There were no plans to reactivate the existing NDB prior to commissioning of the off-airport Runway 35 NDB approach. On January 13, 1995, in reference to the relocation of the NDB to the off airport site, the FAA accepted the request for cancellation of the NDB runway 17 instrument approach procedure, and initiated the development of the NDB runway 35 instrument approach procedure for publication.

The NDB runway 35 instrument approach, the Low Altitude En Route Chart, and the Airport Facility Directory were issued in October 1996. Each reflected the off airport location of the Springhill NDB. On August 1, 1996, the NDB runway 35 instrument approach was flight checked, and on October 10, 1996, the off-airport Springhill NDB was returned to service. On October 25, the original OTS NOTAM for the Springhill NDB was deleted.

Communications:

A review of air traffic control data identified no preflight or en route communication with the pilot. However, the air traffic control (HOU ARTCC and FTW ARTCC) quality assurance staff through the National Track Analysis Program (NTAP) identified a 1200 transponder code track (North 29 degrees 41.14 minutes; West 098 degrees 00.06 minutes) at 0539:55, altitude 1,600 feet msl,