At 21:20 central time a Piper PA-30 lost power and struck transmission lines during the ensuing forced landing near Ozona. The pilot and one passenger suffered minor injuries and two passengers were seriously injured. The pilot had flown from Fort Worth to Lajitas, where the three passengers boarded the airplane. Fuel was not available at Lajitas, so the pilot took off and decided to land at Ozona Municipal Airport for fuel. The left engine lost power in the descent and the pilot secured the engine. He tried to activate the airport lights, but could not. He circled the area of the airport looking for the runway for 10 to 15 minutes and the right engine quit, so he landed in a parking lot, striking power lines on the way down. The accident site was 1 miles from the airport. Several witnesses reported the airport beacon and runway lights were on at the time of the accident.
October 19, Ozona, Texas / Piper Twin Comanche
At 21:20 central time a Piper PA-30 lost power and struck transmission lines during the ensuing forced landing near Ozona. The pilot and one passenger suffered minor injuries and two passengers were seriously injured. The pilot had flown from Fort Worth to Lajitas, where the three passengers boarded the airplane. Fuel was not available at Lajitas, so the pilot took off and decided to land at Ozona Municipal Airport for fuel. The left engine lost power in the descent and the pilot secured the engine. He tried to activate the airport lights, but could not. He circled the area of the airport looking for the runway for 10 to 15 minutes and the right engine quit, so he landed in a parking lot, st...
Key Takeaways:
- A Piper PA-30 experienced a dual engine failure during descent for a planned fuel stop in Ozona, leading to a forced landing.
- The aircraft struck transmission lines near a parking lot, resulting in minor injuries to the pilot and one passenger, and serious injuries to two other passengers.
- The pilot, believing the airport lights were off and unable to activate them, circled for 10-15 minutes before the second engine failed, despite witnesses reporting the airport lights were on.
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