Palmer HAWK BM-4 N75DL
2 January 1994 · Pearland, Texas, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 2 January 1994 at about 22:30 local time, a Palmer HAWK BM-4 registered N75DL was involved in an accident near Pearland, Texas, United States. 5 people were on board and 5 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 22:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Pearland, Texas, United States
- Nearest airport
- Clover Field (T02)
- Coordinates
- 29.5491, -95.2703
- Aircraft
- Palmer HAWK BM-4
- Registration
- N75DL
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW94FA060
People
5 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT BY THE PILOT OF THE HAWK BM-4, WHICH RESULTED IN HIS FAILURE TO SEE-AND-AVOID THE CESSNA 172. THE BM-4 PILOT'S NON-STANDARD PROCEDURE FOR ENTERING THE TRAFFIC PATTERN WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
AS AN INSTRUCTOR (CFI) & STUDENT IN A CESSNA 172 WERE MAKING TOUCH-&-GO'S ON RUNWAY 14R, A BM-4 PILOT TRANSMITTED ON UNICOM THAT HE WAS APPROACHING FROM THE WEST FOR A BASE ENTRY. REPORTEDLY, THE CESSNA PILOTS WERE TRANSMITTING THEIR POSITIONS ON UNICOM, ALSO. THE BM-4 SUBSEQUENTLY TURNED BASE TO FINAL BEHIND THE CESSNA & WAS SEEN CONVERGING ON THE CESSNA IN DISTANCE & ALTITUDE. IMPACT OCCURRED ON SHORT FINAL. WITNESSES SAID THE AIRPLANES REMAINED TOGETHER, ROTATED TO THE LEFT & DESCENDED VERTICALLY TO THE GROUND. THE BM-4 COLOR WAS WHITE WITH YELLOW TRIM & THE CESSNA WAS COLORED WHITE WITH BROWN TRIM. YELLOW PAINT TRANSFER WAS OBSERVED ON THE UPPER LEFT WING SURFACE, AFT CABIN SUPPORT POST & AFT WINDSHIELD OF THE CESSNA. LEADING EDGE DAMAGE OF THE RIGHT WING OF THE BM-4 WAS APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE WIDTH OF THE AFT CABIN WINDOW OF THE CESSNA. AN IMPACT SIGNATURE MEASUREMENT AT THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE LEFT FLAP OF THE CESSNA WAS APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE BM-4 RIGHT LANDING GEAR STRUT WIDTH.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmer HAWK BM-4 HAWK BM-4 | N75DL | - | Destroyed |
| Cessna 172N 172N | N739TL | Ellington Aero Club, Inc. | Destroyed |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 1994 | Piper PA-28-151 | McKinney, Texas, United States | Centerline Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 1 Jan 1994 | Hughes 369HS | Mason, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 18 Jan 1994 | Cessna 150D | Mount Pleasant, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jan 1994 | Piper PA-34-200T | Dallas, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Jan 1994 | Nelson FORD V-6 STOL 262 | San Benito, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Feb 1994 | Cessna T210H | McAllen, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |