Cessna 320E N10PM
1 November 2012 · San Marcos, Texas, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 1 November 2012 at about 11:05 local time, a Cessna 320E registered N10PM, operated by Clarence Schollmeyer, was involved in an accident near San Marcos, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 11:05
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- San Marcos, Texas, United States
- Nearest airport
- San Marcos Municipal Airport (KHYI)
- Coordinates
- 29.8794, -97.8831
- Aircraft
- Cessna 320E
- Registration
- N10PM
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Clarence Schollmeyer
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- San Marcos → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- CEN13FA039
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The non-instrument-rated pilot’s decision to takeoff in night instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and a loss of control.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A fixed-base operator employee observed the pilot preflight his twin-engine airplane and then pulled the pilot’s airplane from the hangar. The employee gave the pilot directions to runway 17 but was unable to see him taxi to that location because of fog. The non-instrument-rated pilot subsequently took off in night instrument meteorological conditions with visibility less than 2 1/2 miles. The airplane crashed less than 1 mile south of the airport shortly after takeoff and witnesses saw and heard the resultant explosion. Video footage of the accident revealed that the airplane impacted the ground in a 45-degree nose-down attitude. Examination of the airplane and engines did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the wreckage distribution, low visibility, and the pilot’s lack of an instrument rating, the accident is consistent with the pilot’s loss of control due to spatial disorientation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 320 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Apr 2012 | Cessna 320D | Green River, Wyoming, United States | Cranfill High | Fatal | 1 |
| 24 Apr 2011 | Cessna 320 | Lake Heron, New Mexico, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 21 Jun 2011 | Cessna 320F | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Sep 2010 | Cessna 320 | Denton, Texas, United States | Association of Orthopedic Services PA | No injuries | - |
| 23 May 2009 | Cessna 320D | Fallon, Nevada, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 15 Jun 2016 | Cessna 320E | Creede, Colorado, United States | Rocky Mountain Aerial Surveys | Fatal | 3 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Sep 2012 | Hiller UH-12B | Rio Vista, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 May 2012 | Short Bros SHORTS SD3-60 | Houston, Texas, United States | ACC Integrated Services Inc | No injuries | - |
| 17 Aug 2012 | Schleicher ASG29-15M | Uvalde, Texas, United States | Louis Bouderlique | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 Feb 2012 | Cessna 180H | Conroe, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Feb 2012 | Beechcraft 58 | Cypress, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Sep 2012 | Piper PA-28R-180 | Roanoke, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |