Cessna 182P N7340Q

Summary

On 10 January 1995 at about 00:05 local time, a Cessna 182P registered N7340Q, operated by Schultz, David A., was involved in an accident near Lufkin, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 January 1995 at 00:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Lufkin, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Lufkin (LFK)

Coordinates

31.3306, -94.7191

Aircraft

Cessna 182P

Registration

N7340Q

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Schultz, David A.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Marble Falls → Cleburne

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Bright

NTSB number

FTW95LA086

1 person had minor injuries.

THE PILOT'S IMPAIRMENT OF JUDGMENT AND PERFORMANCE DUE TO MULTIPLE DRUGS, WHICH RESULTED IN HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING THE APPROACH/FLARE FOR LANDING.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

ORIGINALLY, THE PILOT WAS ON A FLIGHT FROM CLEBURNE, TX, TO MCALLEN, TX. HOWEVER, EN ROUTE, HE BELIEVED THAT HIS NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, AND HE SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED AT MARBLE FALLS, TX. HE ELECTED TO RETURN TO CLEBURNE AT NIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER EXPERIENCING FURTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT, THE FLIGHT 'ENDED' AT LUFKIN, TX. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT, AS THE AIRPLANE WAS APPROACHING RUNWAY 25 AT THE LUFKIN AIRPORT, IT CROSSED THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD ABOUT 20 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND FLEW LEVEL DOWN THE RUNWAY CENTER LINE. ONE WITNESS OBSERVED THAT ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY, THE AIRPLANE 'DROPPED ITS LEFT WING, SPUN, AND HIT THE GROUND.' ANOTHER WITNESS STATED THAT THE 'AIRCRAFT MADE AN ABRUPT LEFT DIVE AND HIT THE GROUND.' AN EXAM OF THE AIRPLANE DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY PREACCIDENT ANOMALIES OF THE AIRFRAME, ENGINE, OR EQUIPMENT. TOXICOLOGY TESTS SHOWED THE PILOT'S BLOOD CONTAINED 0.20 MG/L (0.20 MCG/ML) OF DIAZEPAM (VALIUM), 0.55 MG/L (0.55 MCG/ML) OF NORDIAZEPAM (METABOLITE OF VALIUM), AND 6.9 MG/L (6.9 MCG/ML) OF BUTALBITAL. VALIUM IS AN ANTIANXIETY AGENT AND MUSCLE RELAXANT, AND BUTALBITAL IS A BARBITURATE/SEDATIVE. NEITHER DRUG IS APPROVED FOR USE WHILE FLYING.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.