Beechcraft 65-B80 N9NP

Summary

On 26 October 1995 at about 14:50 local time, a Beechcraft 65-B80 registered N9NP, operated by Dana Lisa Nyerges, was involved in an accident near Paint Rock, 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.

Date

26 October 1995 at 14:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Paint Rock, Texas, United States

Coordinates

31.4991, -99.9194

Aircraft

Beechcraft 65-B80

Registration

N9NP

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Dana Lisa Nyerges

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Waco → San Angelo

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW96FA027

1 person died.

The pilot's impairment of judgment and performance due to alcohol which resulted in his improper decision to shutdown an engine, and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed for single-engine flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses observed the airplane contact the water while buzzing a lake, 'emerge from a cloud of water,' and enter a climb trailing white vapor. As the airplane approached the lake shore, the right propeller 'quit turning,' then the airplane entered a steep right bank and impacted the ground. The right propeller lever was found in the feather position. Propeller teardowns revealed signatures indicating the right propeller was feathered and the left propeller was operating in the low pitch range at impact. Disassembly of the engines revealed no evidence of any pre-impact mechanical anomalies, and, in the opinion of the manufacturer, 'both engines appeared capable of producing power prior to impact.' Toxicological tests showed 178.000 mg/dl (0.178%) ethanol in vitreous fluid, 90.000 mg/dl (0.09%) ethanol in blood, 114.000 mg/dl (0.114%) ethanol in brain fluid, 3.000 mg/dl acetaldehyde in brain fluid, 22.000 mg/dl acetaldehyde in blood, and 4.000 mg/dl 2-propanol in brain fluid. The levels of ethanol found indicate ingestion of alcohol, and the levels of acetaldehyde and 2-propanol (metabolites of ethanol) detected support ingestion of alcohol.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.