Cessna 337F N1734M

Summary

On 2 November 1991 at about 03:22 local time, a Cessna 337F registered N1734M, operated by Jerome Marcus, was involved in an accident near Bullhead City, Arizona, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 November 1991 at 03:22

Classification

Accident

Location

Bullhead City, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Laughlin Bullhead (P06)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 337F

Registration

N1734M

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Jerome Marcus

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Palm Springs → Bullhead City

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX92FA033

3 people died.

THE PILOTS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER DESCENT RATE AND TO ADEQUATELY JUDGE THE ABOVE GROUND ALTITUDE OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE APPROACH. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: 1) THE DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS, 2) THE PILOT'S DEGRADED VISUAL PERCEPTIVE ABILITY, AND 3) THE FAILURE OF THE FAA TO DISSEMINATE THE AIRPORT ELEVATION CHANGE INFORMATION IN A TIMELY MANNER.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DRG AN APCH TO A NEW RWY (34) AT NGT, THE ACFT DSCNDD INTO TRRN ABT 4000' SHORT OF THE RWY. THE OLD RWY (17/35) HAD RECENTLY BEEN CLOSED. THE NEW RWY (16/34) WAS APRX 1400' EAST OF THE OLD RWY & ABT 145' HIGHER. THE ARPT OPERATOR HAD NOTIFIED THE FAA OF THE ELEV CHG. THE FAA NOTAM ISSUED FOR THE NEW RWY DID NOT INCLUDE THE ALT CHG DUE TO PROC POLICY. THE PLT HAD LNDD AT THE ARPT SVRL TIMES, BUT THIS WAS TO BE HIS 1ST LNDG ON THE NEW RWY. THE PLT'S LOGBOOK SHOWED A TOTAL OF 118 HRS OF NGT TIME, BUT THE LAST RECORDED NGT FLT WAS 12 YRS BFR THE ACDNT. TWO PLTS AWAITING TAKEOFF SAW THE APCH & INDCD THE ACFT APPEARED LOW ON DWNWND & BASE LEG. THE PLT'S PSN CALLOUTS SOUNDED NML. THE PLT WAS ON MEDICATION (MED) FOR DIABETES & HI BLOOD PRES, WHICH WAS PRESCRIBED BY HIS REGULAR PHYSICIAN. NONE OF THE PRESCRIBED MEDICATIONS WAS DETECTED IN THE PLT'S BLOOD. AN FAA RGNL FLT SURGEON STATED THAT IF THE PLT DISCONTINUED HIS MEDICATION, IT COULD HAVE CAUSED HYPERTENSION AND/OR HYPERGLYCEMIA, WITH A CORRESPONDING DEGREDATION IN HIS NGT VISUAL PERCEPTIVE ABILITY.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.