NTSB Factual Report

On December 28, 2002, at 1330 central standard time, a Barber Glasair homebuilt aircraft, N3885J, was destroyed upon collision with terrain following a loss of control near Conroe, Texas. The non-instrument rated private pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. The airplane, which was built in 1986 by Hugh Barber, had been owned and operated by the pilot since June 23, 1993. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flight. No flight plan was filed for the local flight, which was reported to have originated from the Montgomery County Airport (CXO), near Conroe, Texas, at 1310.

The purpose of the flight nor the intentions of the occupants could not be determined during the investigation. Local authorities were notified of the accident by a local resident via a 911 call. The accident site was located near State Highway 105, approximately 9.7 miles east of Conroe. Witnesses near the accident site reported that the airplane collided with a light pole in a residential backyard after the airplane "spun nose down into the ground." A post-impact fire destroyed the airplane. The fire was extinguished by the local fire department before it had a chance to spread into a mobile home and adjacent residences. There were no reported injuries to anyone in the mobile home or on the ground.

The FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, reported that the amateur-built airplane, which was mostly built out of fiberglass and composite materials, "was totally consumed by the post-impact fire." The inspector reported that the airplane "snapped some powerlines and knocked a light pole before coming to rest in a backyard." The inspector added that all of the major aircraft components were located within a 20-foot radius from the initial point of impact. The aircraft was powered by a 150-horsepower Lycoming O-320-E2A engine, serial number L-23305-27A.

According to data provided by the FAA, the pilot was issued his private pilot certificate on July 25, 1985. According to the data provided by the pilot at the time of his last medical examination on April 20, 2001, the pilot had accumulated a total of 1,230 hours as of that date. The pilot was issued a third class medical certificate with a restriction which required him to wear corrective lenses while operating an aircraft.

The nearest weather reporting station to the accident site was the Montgomery County Airport (CXO), located approximately 12 miles west of the accident site. At 1453 the reported winds were from 180 degrees at 7 knots, clear skies with a visibility of 10 statute miles. The temperature was 19 degrees Celsius, and the dewpoint was 2 degrees, with an altimeter setting of 30.29 inches of Mercury. Based on a field elevation of 436 feet, the investigator-in-charge calculated the density altitude at 436 feet at the time of the accident.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed resulting in an inadvertent stall and a subsequent loss of control.