Aero Commander 500B N904DF
31 July 1991 · Silica, Kansas, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 31 July 1991 at about 12:59 local time, a Aero Commander 500B registered N904DF, operated by Dewey E. Tower, was involved in an accident near Silica, Kansas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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 12:59
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Silica, Kansas, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 500B
- Registration
- N904DF
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Dewey E. Tower
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Wichita → Hays
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI91FA235
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE FAILURE OF BOTH PILOTS TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE SEPARATION DURING FORMATION FLIGHT. RELATED FACTORS ARE OVERCONFIDENCE IN PERSONAL ABILITY AND POOR PLANNING/DECISION.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
BOTH AIRCRAFT DEPARTED WICHITA ON IFR FLIGHT PLAN IN VFR WEATHER CONDITIONS. THEY FLEW NORTHWEST TOWARD THEIR RESPECTIVE DESTINATIONS, AND CANCELLED IFR ABOUT 20 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ATC OBSERVED THE AIRPLANES ON RADAR, AND STATED THEY WERE 'DOGFIGHTING BACK AND FORTH' PRIOR TO THE COLLISION. ONE PILOT'S ROOMMATE REPORTED THE TWO PILOTS, WHO WERE CLOSE FRIENDS AS WELL AS CO-WORKERS, OFTEN CANCELLED IFR AND FLEW IN FORMATION IF THE WEATHER WAS VFR. HE REPORTED THE PILOTS OFTEN VIDEOTAPED EACH OTHER, AND HE HAD WATCHED SOME OF THE TAPES. HE STATED 'IT WAS HARD TO TELL FROM THE VIDEOTAPE HOW CLOSE THEY WERE BECAUSE THEY COULD USE THE ZOOM FEATURE, ETC. YOU COULD READ THE N NUMBERS.' INVESTIGATION REVEALED BROWN PAINT TRANSFER ON THE BOTTOM OF THE RIGHT WING OF THE BLUE AND WHITE AIRPLANE, WHICH HAD SEPARATED AND WAS LOCATED 1.5 MILES FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THERE WERE LIGHT COLORED SCUFF MARKS ON THE TOP OF THE LEFT ENGINE NACELLE OF THE BROWN AND WHITE AIRPLANE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aero Commander 500B 500B | N904DF | Dewey E. Tower | Destroyed |
| Aero Commander 500B 500B | N702CA | Dewey E. Tower | Destroyed |
Other Aero Commander 500 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Jul 1991 | Aero Commander 500B | Hutchinson, Kansas, United States | Central Air-Southwest | No injuries | - |
| 4 Aug 1991 | Aero Commander 500-698 | Atlantic Ocean | Palm Beach Aviation | Serious injuries | - |
| 24 Nov 1992 | Aero Commander 500-B | McCook, Nebraska, United States | Dewey Towner | Serious injuries | - |
| 7 Feb 1992 | Aero Commander 500S | Richmond Hts., Ohio, United States | Michael Stanton-Hicks | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Jan 1993 | Aero Commander 500-B | Susank, Kansas, United States | Central Airlines, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Feb 1989 | Aero Commander 500U | Daytona Beach, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 May 1991 | Beechcraft 58P | Wichita, Kansas, United States | Airparts Company, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jan 1991 | Rans S-11 PURSUIT | Hays, Kansas, United States | Randall J. Schlitter | Serious injuries | - |
| 8 Mar 1991 | Cessna A-188 | Harper, Kansas, United States | Midwest AG, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 6 May 1991 | Cessna A188B | Mingo, Kansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jun 1991 | Piper PA-36-300 | Oakley, Kansas, United States | John Holzmeister | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jul 1991 | Grumman G-164A | Sharon Springs, Kansas, United States | James L. Bussen | No injuries | - |