Douglas DC-3C accident near El Paso, Texas, July 30, 1982
On July 30, 1982 at about 12:47 pm local time, a Douglas DC-3C, registered N102BL, was substantially damaged in an accident near El Paso, Texas. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 1982 · about 12:47 pm local time
- Place
- El Paso, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-3C · all DC-3Cs on the register
- Registration
- N102BL · registry record · serial 23654
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AT ABOUT 800 FT AGL, THE LEFT ENGINE OIL TEMPERATE BECAME HIGH AND REPORTEDLY THERE WAS A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE THEN FEATHERED THE LEFT ENGINE AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. ON FINAL APPROACH, HE DID NOT GET A SAFE GEAR INDICATION. THE PILOT STARTED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO GO AROUND. BUT AT ABOUT THAT TIME, HE WAS COMMITTED TO LAND. WHILE MANEUVERING, THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN THE DESERT. THERE WAS 2700 LBS OF CARGO ON BOARD. THE ELEVATION WAS ABOUT 3950 FT AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS REPORTED AT 72 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 22,188 hours in all; 1,108 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,348 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 25,200 lb
- Seats: 32
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-1830-90C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pronto Aviation Services
The flight
- Departed from: El Paso TX at 6:40 am
- Destination: TUS Tucson AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 11,012 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 162°F (72°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.