Baby Ace Crashes:
This crash was fortunately not fatal.
It is always sad to see an airplane crash, especially when someone is killed or hurt badly. If I remember correctly the yellow airplane on the left crashed after hitting power lines during an emergency landing. The Pilot walked away from this one although the airplane was a total loss. If anyone has additional information on this crash please let me know and I will update this page.
The next crash occurred 6 miles from Longview, TX (Baby Ace D, N610DD; see below) and was fatal to the pilot even though the airplane looks as though it is barely damaged. The departing location was Oak Ridge, Louisiana and the pilot was apparently ferrying the airplane to Fort Worth Spinks Airport (FWS), TX.
The next crash occurred 6 miles from Longview, TX (Baby Ace D, N610DD; see below) and was fatal to the pilot even though the airplane looks as though it is barely damaged. The departing location was Oak Ridge, Louisiana and the pilot was apparently ferrying the airplane to Fort Worth Spinks Airport (FWS), TX.
N610DD
This crash was fatal, so sad.
Narrative: On January 12, 2009, approximately 1320 Central Standard Time, a Probst Baby Ace D, N610DD, operated by a commercial pilot was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain five miles north, northeast of Kilgore, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot was fatally injured. The cross-country flight departed Minden (F24), Louisiana, and was en route Gilmer (JXI), Texas, at the time the accident occurred. The pilot had picked up the airplane at 1000 local time and departed Oak Ridge, Louisiana, and was en route to Fort Worth Spinks Airport (FWS), Fort Worth, Texas. Several witnesses in the area reported observing an airplane, matching the description of the accident airplane, flying low in the area of the accident. There were no witnesses to the impact. A local resident discovered the wreckage at approximately 1600. According to local law enforcement officers who responded to the scene, the airplane came to rest inverted in a landfill. The full NTSB report is offered below and is intended to help prevent other pilots from this same fate. I ran out of gas once in my Baby Ace and but for the grace of God this could have been me. Fortunately I was able to set down safely in a cow pasture but damaged the airplane on takeoff after refueling when the landing gear found a pot hole right before lift off. Always make sure to maintain adequate fuel reserves by careful airport planning stops for gasoline. Never take a chance that you will make the alternate airport. Headwinds can erode even the best flight planning. [Guy - The Baby Ace Man]
Sources:
NTSB ID# CEN09LA128
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, January 12, 2009 in Kilgore, TX
Probable Cause Approval Date: 8/13/2009
Aircraft: Probst Baby Ace D, registration: N610DD
Injuries: 1 Fatal. The pilot was on a visual-flight-rules flight when the airplane impacted terrain directly below the power lines, and came to rest inverted during an apparent forced landing. The terrain surrounding the wreckage showed no signs of ground scarring, and the debris field was contained to the immediate vicinity of the wreckage. No signs of fuel spillage were observed in the surrounding soil except for a stain the "size of a plate" under the engine assembly. The fuel tank was empty and the gascolator contained two to three tablespoons of fuel. There were no witnesses to the accident. An examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies. The global positioning system receiver on board recorded the last few minutes of flight and depicted ten separate course reversals over the accident area prior to the accident. The airplane was 20 miles south of its intended fuel stop. The accident airplane was equipped with a lap belt and shoulder harness. The seatbelt was cut during recovery of the pilot and the shoulder harness was found secured in a storage sack behind the pilot's seat. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's improper fuel planning. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to maintain situational awareness, resulting in him being lost.
NTSB ID# CEN09LA128
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, January 12, 2009 in Kilgore, TX
Probable Cause Approval Date: 8/13/2009
Aircraft: Probst Baby Ace D, registration: N610DD
Injuries: 1 Fatal. The pilot was on a visual-flight-rules flight when the airplane impacted terrain directly below the power lines, and came to rest inverted during an apparent forced landing. The terrain surrounding the wreckage showed no signs of ground scarring, and the debris field was contained to the immediate vicinity of the wreckage. No signs of fuel spillage were observed in the surrounding soil except for a stain the "size of a plate" under the engine assembly. The fuel tank was empty and the gascolator contained two to three tablespoons of fuel. There were no witnesses to the accident. An examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies. The global positioning system receiver on board recorded the last few minutes of flight and depicted ten separate course reversals over the accident area prior to the accident. The airplane was 20 miles south of its intended fuel stop. The accident airplane was equipped with a lap belt and shoulder harness. The seatbelt was cut during recovery of the pilot and the shoulder harness was found secured in a storage sack behind the pilot's seat. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's improper fuel planning. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to maintain situational awareness, resulting in him being lost.