Piper PA-24-250 accident near Van Horn, TX
On December 27, 1994, a Piper PA-24-250 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Van Horn, TX. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- December 27, 1994
- Place
- Van Horn, TX
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 31.039°N, 104.830°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001206X02714
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 27, 1994, approximately 1718 central standard time, a Piper PA-24-250, N8112P, was destroyed when it collided with terrain during descent approximately 29 nautical miles north- northeast of Van Horn, Texas. The commercial pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Weather conditions at the accident site could not be determined. Family members said the pilot and his wife were returning to Llano, Texas, from a California vacation. Records indicate that at 1223 on the day of the accident, he purchased 22.1 gallons of fuel at Van Nuys, California, then flew to Tucson, Arizona, where he purchased 45.2 gallons at 1428. According to the control tower, N8112P departed at 1458. The pilot contacted El Paso, Texas, approach control, was assigned a discrete transponder code of 4666, and entered its class C airspace. At 1653, the airplane exited El Paso's airspace, was assigned transponder code 1200, and radar services were terminated. According to the fixed base operator (FBO) Pecos, Texas, the pilot contacted him "some time between 1715 and 1730" and reported he was "20 minutes out," and requested that he remain at the airport until he arrived because he needed to purchase fuel. The FBO noted that there was "a ragged 1,000 foot overcast ceiling and good visibility." This was the last known radio communication from the airplane. The airplane failed to arrive at Pecos. Homing on ELT (emergency locator transmitter) signals, a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter crew located the wreckage the following morning about 57 miles west of Pecos. Although the
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain proper altitude. Factors were reduced light conditions, clouds, and the pilot's premature descent.
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Browse: Texas · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
