Alpine - Lajitas

On August 28, 1999 at 10:21 AM, Alpine - Lajitas experienced a crash involving Cessna 414 Chancellor, operated by Mack Ponder, with the event recorded near Alpine-Casparis Texas.

The flight was categorized as executive/corporate/business and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

4 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 4 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 3, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The pilot had the main and auxiliary fuel tanks filled and performed an abbreviated preflight prior to departing the Alpine Airport. The pilot did not perform an engine run-up prior to takeoff. The pilot stated that while the airplane was climbing through 100 feet agl, the left engine 'started to surge.' The pilot reported that he knew the airplane would not be able to climb at field elevation with one engine inoperative. The pilot switched the left engine's boost pump from low to high; however, the left engine continued to surge while the airplane lost altitude. The pilot initiated a forced landing with the landing gear and flaps retracted and the left propeller unfeathered. The airplane impacted the ground left wing tip first and a fire erupted, which damaged the left wing and left side of the fuselage. The left engine's spark plugs were found covered with thick black soot. The left engine's magnetos were rotated using an electric hand-held drill, and the left magneto did not produce any spark and the right magneto produced a spark in three of its six distributor cap posts. The left magneto's primary winding resistance and capacitor leakage were found to be beyond the manufacturer's specified limits. The internal components of both magnetos were covered in a dark oil and debris. The maximum takeoff weight for the accident airplane was 6,350 pounds; however, the takeoff weight at the time of the accident was calculated to be 6,509 pounds. The aircraft's single engine performance charts indicated that the airplane would obtain a 29 fpm climb at maximum gross weight with the inoperative engine feathered. The pilot operating handbook's supplement section indicated that the auxiliary fuel pump should only be used when the engine-driven fuel pump failed. A caution statement states in bold print, 'If the auxiliary fuel pump switches are placed in the HIGH position with the engine-driven fuel pump(s) operating normally, total loss of engine power may occur.'

Aircraft reference details include registration N67JM, MSN 414-0066, year of manufacture 1970.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 30.3828°, -103.6907°.