Piper PA-23-160 accident near Cotulla, TX
On October 10, 2000, a Piper PA-23-160 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Cotulla, TX. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- October 10, 2000
- Place
- Cotulla, TX
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-160 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 28.431°N, 99.231°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X22149
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On October 10, 2000, approximately 1522 central daylight time, a Piper PA-23-160, twin-engine airplane, N3390P, impacted the terrain in an uncontrolled descent near Cotulla, Texas, following a loss of left engine power. The commercial pilot received serious injuries, and the passenger was fatally injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was owned by a private individual and leased to the Mesquite Flight Center, Inc., at Mesquite, Texas. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 business flight, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The flight departed Hebbronville approximately 1416 with a planned destination of San Antonio, Texas. According to personnel at the Mesquite Flight Center, they were contacted by the director of flight operations for the National Institute for Community Banking, Inc., for rental of the aircraft, and the pilot was contacted independently of the Mesquite Flight Center. Personnel at Mesquite Flight Center reported the airplane departed Mesquite (HQZ) early on the day of the accident. Acquaintances of the passenger reported that the passenger boarded the airplane at Addison (ADS), Texas, for the business flight to Hebbronville (HBV), Texas. The passenger was the principal and managing director for the National Institute Community for Banking, Inc., and was to meet with banking personnel at Hebbronville. To their knowledge, the passenger had not taken previous flights with the pilot nor Mesquite Flight Center. The air traffic contr
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to refuel the airplane which resulted in fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power. Also contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to feather the engine.
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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.
