# NTSB FTW99FA021: Piper PA-28R-200, N4726R, Conroe, TX, November 8, 1998 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report - Date: November 7, 1998, 19:00 local (Nov 8, 1998, 01:00 UTC) - Place: Conroe, TX - Coordinates: 30.379304, -95.379402 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.3793&lon=-95.3794&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 3 fatal - Status: Completed, report September 19, 2000 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 45264 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW99FA021 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/45264/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99FA021 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Factors were the dark night light conditions prevailing for the ensuing forced landing and the pilot's lack of experience in the make and model of airplane. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, approach - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (cause) - in-flight planning/decision - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - lack of total experience in type of aircraft, pilot in command (contributing factor) - Forced landing, descent - emergency - In flight collision with object, descent - emergency - object - tree(s) - object - wire,transmission - light condition - dark night (contributing factor) - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled ## Analysis During a dark night forced landing, following a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, the airplane collided with terrain. On the flight plan for the flight from Searcy, AR, to Waco (ACT), TX, the airline transport pilot estimated 3 hrs 10 min flight time and 4 hrs fuel available. At 2 hrs 33 min into the flight, the pilot amended his destination to Conroe (CXO), TX, after receiving reports of instrument weather conditions at ACT and visual conditions at CXO. At 4 hrs 12 min into the flight, the pilot received clearance for an instrument approach to runway 14 at CXO. The pilot's acknowledgement of the clearance was the last radio communication received from the airplane. At 4 hrs 20 min into the flight, the last radar return showed the airplane 4 miles west-northwest of CXO. A witness observed the airplane fly over a road at a low altitude as though 'trying to land,' collide with a tree, hit a power line, and impact the ground. No discolored vegetation or fuel odor was noted at the accident site. One of the two fuel tanks was intact and contained 6 ounces of fuel. Including the accident flight and a 0.8-hr checkout flight, the 25,000-hr pilot had 8.6 hrs flight time in the accident airplane. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On November 7, 1998, at 1900 central standard time, a Piper PA-28R-200 airplane, N4726R, operated by MVP Aero Academy, Inc., of Houston, Texas, impacted terrain during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Conroe, Texas. The airline transport rated pilot and his two passengers were fatally injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. An instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal cross-country flight, which originated from Searcy, Arkansas, approximately 1439. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. According to MVP Aero Academy personnel, on November 4, 1998, the pilot completed a 0.8-hour checkout flight with a flight instructor in the airplane at the Montgomery County Airport (CXO) in Conroe. The pilot then scheduled the airplane from November 5 through 9 for a cross-country trip to visit relatives in Arkansas. The pilot's logbook, which was recovered from the airplane and examined by the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC), contained two entries dated November 5, 1998. The first entry was for a 3-hour 6-minute flight from CXO to Saline County Airport (M99), Benton, Arkansas, and the second entry was for a 20-minute flight from M99 to Dennis F. Cantrell Field Airport, Conway, Arkansas. There were no further entries in the logbook. At 1052, on the day of the accident, the pilot telephoned the Automated Flight Service Station in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and filed an IFR flight plan for a flight from the Searcy Municipal Airport (M07) to the Waco Regional Airport (ACT) in Waco, Texas. He then requested and received a pilot weather briefing for the proposed flight. When filing the flight plan, the pilot stated that the estimated time en route for the flight was 3 hours 10 minutes and that the airplane carried enough fuel to fly for 4 hours. Refueling records obtained from the Searcy Municipal Airport indicated that 25.2 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel were added to the airplane on the day of the accident. During a telephone interview conducted by the NTSB IIC, the lineman who fueled the airplane stated that he did not recall fueling the airplane and did not know if the tanks were "topped off." At 1424, prior to takeoff, the pilot contacted Little Rock Approach and requested an IFR clearance to ACT. Little Rock Approach issued an IFR clearance and at 1434, released the airplane. At 1439, the pilot made a radio call to Little Rock Approach indicating that the airplane was airborne off of Searcy. At 1709, the pilot contacted the Automated Flight Service Station in Fort Worth, Texas, and obtained the current reported weather conditions at ACT and CXO. The reported weather at ACT included visibility of 2 statute miles in mist and ceiling 200 feet overcast. The reported weather at CXO included visibility 10 miles, ceiling 2,400 feet broken, 3,100 feet overcast. At 1712, 2 hours and 33 minutes into the flight, the pilot amended his destination to CXO. At 1841, the airplane was handed off from the Houston Air Route Traffic Control Center to Houston Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON). At 1843:05, the controller asked the pilot, "do you want an ILS [instrument landing system] approach or do you think you can do a visual?" In response, the pilot requested "a practice ILS." At 1850, 4 hours and 12 minutes into the flight, the pilot received clearance for the ILS approach to runway 14 at CXO and was told to switch to the airport advisory frequency. The pilot acknowledged the approach clearance, and there were no further radio communications with air traffic control. According to the radio operator on duty at the airport at the time of the accident, he heard no transmissions from the accident airplane. Examination of radar data recorded by Houston TRACON revealed that when the pilot received the approach clearance, the airplane was at an altitude of 2,100 feet msl, approximately 7.5 nautical miles northwest of CXO. Between 1850:17 and 1855:21, the airplane continued on a southeasterly heading towards CXO and descended to an altitude of 1,100 feet msl. The airplane then made a right turn to a northwesterly heading, followed by left turn to a southerly heading. Between 1857:03 and 1858:12, the airplane continued to head south and descended to 700 feet msl. The last recorded radar return at 1858:53 showed the airplane 4 nautical miles west-northwest of CXO. A witness, who was driving southbound on Highway 75, reported to local authorities that she observed the airplane pass over her vehicle flying south over the highway at a low altitude "like it was trying to land on the highway." She heard no sound from the airplane's engine. She observed the airplane collide with the top of a tree on the west side of the road, hit a power line paralleling the west side of the road, and then impact the ground. According to the witness, "visibility was good, with a light drizzling rain." Another witness saw the lights of the airplane as it passed from north to south directly over his position, which was on the west side of Highway 75 about 250 yards north of the accident site. The witness reported that he "heard nothing" as the airplane passed over. "A few seconds later," the airplane "started rocking from one side to the other" and "crashed on power lines." According to the witness, it was "raining, but very light, I did not need an umbrella" and "it was also very dark." Law enforcement officers, who responded to the accident, were concerned about a "ticking" noise that could be heard coming from the engine compartment of the airplane. They contacted a local aircraft pilot/mechanic, who arrived at the site approximately 1 hour after the accident. During a personal interview with the NTSB IIC, the mechanic reported that when he arrived at the site, the airplane's navigation lights were illuminated and the electric fuel boost pump mounted on the firewall was operating. He turned off the master switch and "all other electrical switches." The mechanic stated that there was "no fuel smell" at the site. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with a multiengine land airplane rating and type ratings in B-707, B-720, B-727, B-757, B-767, and L-1011 airplanes. Additionally, he had commercial pilot privileges in single engine land airplanes and private pilot privileges in lighter-than-air free balloons. He held a second class medical certificate dated January 12, 1998, with the limitation: must wear corrective lenses. According to MVP Aero Academy's checkout record for the pilot, as of July 4, 1998, the pilot had accumulated a total of 25,000 hours flight time. The checkout record indicated the pilot had 2,000 hours in single engine land airplanes, 23,000 hours in multiengine land airplanes, 5,000 hours night flight time, and 6,000 hours instrument flight time. Other than the checkout flight on November 4, 1998, and the two flights logged on November 5, 1998, the pilot's logbook did not indicate further experience in PA-28R-200 airplanes. The pilot's total time in the PA-28R-200 was determined to be 8.6 hours by adding the logged flight times and the accident flight time. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION Examination of the airplane's maintenance records by the NTSB IIC revealed that the 1972 model Piper Arrow's most recent annual inspection was completed on June 3, 1998. The airplane received a 100-hour inspection on August 20, 1998, at an airframe total time of 5,771 hours. As of that date, the engine had accumulated 1,625 hours since major overhaul. When the accident occurred, the airplane and engine had accumulated 97 hours since the 100-hour inspection. Review of the maintenance records revealed no evidence of any uncorrected maintenance discrepancies. According to the PA-28R-200 Information Manual, the fuel syste ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4726R](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4726R-2004-04-08), registration cancelled 2004-04-08, S/N 28R-7235172, built 1972 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-28R-200 - Registry model: [Piper PA-28R-200](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-200) (registry code 7102811) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming I0360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (registry code 41515, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 28R-7235172 - Airframe hours: 5868 - Engines: Lycoming IO-360-C1C 200 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Mvp Aero Academy, Inc. - Registered owner: Kenneth J. Zetka - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, August 20, 1998, 97 hours before - Departed: M07, SEARCY, AR - Destination: CXO - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: CXO, Montgomery County Airport, runway 14, 6,000 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 62; airline transport, commercial, private, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 25,000 total, 9 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark - Wind: variable at 4 knots - Visibility: 6 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 3,600 ft broken - Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 63 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: CXO, 4 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19981107040099A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981107040099A), Nov 7, 1998: Piper PA28R200, Conroe, TX, Substantial damage, 3 fatal. (.19) On November 7, 1998, approximately 1900 central standard time, a Piper PA-28R-200 airplane, N4726R, operated by mvp aero academy, inc., of houston,… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.