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 lost power in both engines and crashed near Ozona during an attempted fuel stop, injuring the pilot and all three passengers.
- After departing Lajitas where fuel was unavailable, the left engine failed in descent, followed by the right engine quitting after the pilot circled for 10-15 minutes, claiming he could not activate airport lights.
- The aircraft struck transmission lines during the forced landing one mile from the airport, while witnesses reported the airport beacon and runway lights were active at the time.
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