N858JACessna TU206F · 1976

On April 5, 2022, about 1231 central daylight time, a Cessna TU206F airplane, N858JA, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Marlin, Texas. The pilot and pilot-rated observer were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aerial observation flight.

The airplane departed the Houston Executive Airport (TME), Houston, Texas, on a pipeline inspection flight with a destination of Waco, Texas. Automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast, and GPS data indicated the airplane first appeared at 1038, south of TME. The airplane tracked north northwest toward Waco, Texas, and climbed to 4,000 ft mean sea level. About 1 1/2 hours into the flight, the airplane turned southwest and began a series of maneuvering turns over the area where the pipeline was located. The airplane continued to maneuver southwest and worked its way to a location 20 miles south of Waco. It then turned to the east toward the Marlin Airport (T15), Marlin, Texas. The pilot contacted Waco Approach Control and informed them that he was landing at T15.

The airplane overflew the south edge of airport and entered a left downwind traffic pattern for runway 17. The airplane continued to a left base leg and then final. An armory security camera located on the airport recorded the airplane on final approach. The airplane touched down just past the approach end of the runway and bounced back into the air. It touched down a second time in the grass just right of the runway, struck a runway light, veered back on the runway, crossed the runway, and departed the left side of the runway. The airplane then disappeared behind a building.

GPS data showed the airplane touchdown on the runway. The airplane became airborne again and touched down off the right side of the runway. The airplane then turned northeast, crossed the runway, and became airborne again. The airplane climbed to about 75 ft above ground level, crossed a road that ran parallel to the runway east of the airport, and then entered a rapid descent until track data was lost at 1231:06. The airplane was about 1,800 ft southeast of the approach end of runway 17 at when track data was lost.

Figure 1. GPS Track, Final Approach and Runway Excursion looking toward the South.

Figure 2. GPS Track, Final Approach and Runway Excursion looking toward the East-Southeast

The pilot’s wife reported that the pilot meticulously kept a master logbook that he would update weekly. However, the logbook was not located. She stated that he had recently met a personal milestone, 1,500 total hours, a few weeks before the accident. She also stated that it would have been out of character for her husband, being responsible for the flight, to give the flight controls over to the other pilot. The pilot kept a notebook of his flight hours by tachometer and Hobbs meter readings which was found at the accident site. On review, between September 21, 2021, and the day of the accident, the pilot had logged 742.1 hours.

The pilot was hired by the company in August 2020 as a subcontractor pilot. In February 2022, the company hired him as an employee pilot. Per the company’s training records, on March 31, 2022, he had 203.6 hours as pilot-in-command on visual flights.

The accident site was in a treed pasture located on the east side of a gravel road that ran along the east side of T15, and 1 mile northeast of Marlin, Texas. The elevation of the accident site was 410 ft and the terrain was predominately flat.

The airplane impacted in a near vertical attitude and rested upright on its main landing gear and nose on a heading of 281o.

The airplane main wreckage was located about 340 ft east of the runway and consisted of the fuselage, both wings, main landing gear, engine, and empennage. The propeller and nose landing gear were located west of the airplane. A debris field that contained broken pieces of the windscreen, cowling, glareshield, and instrument panel was located between the airplane and the propeller. An additional area of debris that consisted of the left-wing tip was located beneath a tree about 90 ft west-northwest of the airplane. A broken tree branch was located among the debris.

The airplane’s propeller was located 33 ft west of the airplane main wreckage and was embedded about 1 ft into the ground. The propeller was broken torsionally at the flange. All three blades showed S-bending and chordwise scratches. A 4 ft by 4 ft impact crater was located beneath the propeller. Pieces of the windscreen were found in the crater. Two 6 in wide and 15 ft long impressions in the ground extended east and west from the impact crater. At the end of the east impression were pieces of the right-wing tip and position light.

A second tree located 15 ft south of the impact crater showed several broken branches, which were found on the ground between the propeller and the tree.

On-scene examination of the airframe, flight controls, and engine revealed no preaccident malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.