Plane Crash Reports 2003

2003 Plane Crash Report Result

Title: IPER PA-28-181 SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N47413, WAS DESTROYED UPON

Report Date: 12/15

Plane Crash Problem: On December 9, 2003, at 1905 central standard time, a Piper PA-28-181 single-engine airplane, N47413, was destroyed upon impact with terrain following an in flight collision with powerlines while on final approach to runway 35 at the Sugar Land Regional Airport (SGR), near Sugar Land, Texas. The non-instrument rated private pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to Airmar Inc, of Cypress, Texas, and was being operated by MVP Aero Academy of Houston, Texas. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The local flight originated from the Weiser Airpark (EYQ), near Houston, Texas at 1830, and was destined for SGR. The controller at the air traffic control tower at SGR reported that the pilot first contacted the tower when the airplane was 8 nautical miles north of the airport, at 1,500 feet. The controller added that he cleared the airplane to enter a right downwind for runway 35 and requested the pilot report at midfield. The controller observed the airplane entering a right downwind and observed on radar that the airplane was established at 1,000 feet on downwind at about the midfield point. The pilot reported abeam the numbers for 35 and the controller cleared the flight to land on runway 35. Subsequently, the tower controller on duty observed a "flash similar to the explosion of a transformer" as the airplane collided with the powerlines. The tower and the runway lights subsequently lost all electrical power. The airplane came to rest upright on a magnetic heading of 115 degrees, approximately 65 feet south of runway 35 adjacent to railroad tracks. The Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates recorded at the accident site using a hand held GPS unit were 29 degrees 36.668 minutes north latitude and 095 degrees 39.332 minutes west longitude, at an elevation of approximately 82 feet msl. The SGR airport features a single concrete runway, 8,000 feet in length, and 100 feet wide, oriented on a heading of 350 and 170 degrees respectively. The threshold for runway 35 is displaced 1,964 feet. Runway 35 is not equipped with either a PAPI or a VASI. At 1853, the automated surface observing station at SGR reported the winds from 320 degrees at 16 knots, gusting to 25 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, sky condition clear, temperature 16 degrees Celsius, dew point 1 degree Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 29.89 inches of Mercury.

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