Amateur-built SA-300 accident near El Paso, Texas, May 12, 1984
On May 12, 1984 at about 11:00 pm local time, a amateur-built SA-300, registered N3168, was substantially damaged in an accident near El Paso, Texas (West Texas airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 12, 1984 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- El Paso, Texas · West Texas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SA-300 · all SA-300s on the register
- Registration
- N3168 · registry record · serial 51545
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE IN THE ARPT TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR LANDING, THE PLT EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FAILURE AND LANDED SHORT OF THE RWY. THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A SAND DUNE. THE PLT STATED THAT HE HAD EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF FUEL PRESSURE ON PREVIOUS FLTS BUT HAD NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. THE FUEL PUMP WAS NOTED TO BE MALFUNCTIONING DURING THIS FLT.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 60 in this make and model; 129 in the last 90 days; 126 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 460 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 30, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-435 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 4,000 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N3168 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW84LA231.