Piper PA-28RT-201T N8144J
9 August 1991 · Midland, Texas, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 9 August 1991 at about 18:33 local time, a Piper PA-28RT-201T registered N8144J, operated by Stevens Operating Corp., was involved in an accident near Midland, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:33
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Midland, Texas, United States
- Nearest airport
- Midland Airpark (MDD)
- Coordinates
- 32.0494, -102.2007
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28RT-201T
- Registration
- N8144J
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Stevens Operating Corp.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Roswell → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW91FA144
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S INABILITY TO CONTROL THE AIRPLANE DUE TO HIS PHYSIOLOGICAL INCAAPACITATION. A FACTOR WAS THE PILOT'S IMPAIRMENT DUE TO THE USAGE OF PAIN MEDICATIONS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE AIRPLANE CRASHED IN A SHALLOW UNCONTROLLED ATTITUDE ABOUT 3.5 MILES FROM ITS INTENDED DESTINATION WHILE HEADING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, DESPITE HAVING RECEIVED VECTORS THROUGH AN ARSA AND A LANDING ADVISORY FROM THE UNICOM. REVIEW OF THE ATC TAPES FROM THE DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL SEGMENTS REVEALED THAT THE PILOT WAS IN EXTREME PHYSICAL DISTRESS UPON ARRIVAL. ANALYSIS OF THE TAPES AND THE PILOT'S MEDICAL HISTORY BY A PANEL OF FLIGHT SURGEONS INDICATED THAT THE PILOT WAS INCAPACITATED SHORTLY BEFORE IMPACT, PROBABLY DUE TO A MAJOR MEDICAL IMPAIRMENT. THE AUTOPSY REVEALED SEVERAL ARTIFACTS INDICATIVE OF SEVERAL YEARS OF HYPERTENSION AND ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS. HE WAS TAKING MEDICATION FOR THE CONDITIONS, HOWEVER, THE MEDICATIONS, TAKEN IN PARALLEL, COUNTERACTED THE ANTIHYPERTENSIVE MEDICINE'S EFFECT. IN ADDITION, HIS TOXICOLOGY SAMPLES REVEALED TWO PAIN MEDICATIONS, NORMALLY PRESCRIBED TO ALLEVIATE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF THE PRESCRIPTIONS BEING TAKEN FOR THE MEDICAL CONDITIONS, IN QUANTITIES ABOVE THE NORMAL THERAPEUTIC LEVELS. ONE OF THE
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-28RT accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Oct 1991 | Piper PA-28RT-201T | Spring Lake, North Carolina, United States | Carite, Charles | Fatal | 1 |
| 7 Jul 1991 | Piper PA-28RT-201T | Sonora, Texas, United States | Travis N. Hand | Minor injuries | - |
| 31 Oct 1992 | Piper PA-28RT-201T | Ft. Riley, Kansas, United States | Walker Stone Co., Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 19 Aug 1990 | Piper PA-28RT-201 | Long Beach, California, United States | Benbow Aviation | Fatal | 4 |
| 20 Apr 1990 | Piper PA-28RT-201 | Marshfield, Massachusetts, United States | Shorelines Aviation, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 15 Feb 1990 | Piper PA-28RT-201 | Napa, California, United States | Iasco | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Jul 1991 | Beechcraft BE-19 | Mesquite, Texas, United States | ARI BEN Aviator | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 1991 | McDonnell Douglas MD-80 | Dfw Airport, Texas, United States | American Airlines | No injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 1991 | Robinson R22 BETA | Wylie, Texas, United States | Heli TEX Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 1991 | Cessna 150A | Jewett, Texas, United States | Jack R. Horan | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 Aug 1991 | Beechcraft K35 | Laredo, Texas, United States | DAN R. Blaker | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 1991 | Cessna 172F | Cumby, Texas, United States | Charles D. Wood | No injuries | - |