Rockwell COMMANDER 112 accident near Ft.Worth, Texas, June 6, 1987
On June 6, 1987 at about 4:20 pm local time, a Rockwell COMMANDER 112, registered N1153J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ft.Worth, Texas (Meacham airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. 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
- June 6, 1987 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Ft.Worth, Texas · Meacham · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell COMMANDER 112 COMMANDER
- Registration
- N1153J · no longer on the register · serial 153
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON 6/6/87 A ROCKWELL COMMANDER 112, N1153J, IMPACTED THE TERRAIN NEAR MEACHAM FIELD, FORTH WORTH, TEXAS WHILE ON A PHOTOGRAPHY FLIGHT. THE PILOT HAD BEEN CLEARED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 16L WHEN THE TOWER CHANGED THE RUNWAY ASSIGNMENT TO 16R. THE PILOT ADDED POWER AND THE ENGINE QUIT CAUSING THE PILOT TO ATTEMPT A FORCED LANDING TO THE OFF RAMP OF INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 820. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED IN ROUGH, UNEVEN TERRAIN AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS ONBOARD WERE NOT INJURED. THE PILOT PLACED THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR ON THE RIGHT TANK DURING THE LANDING SEQUENCE. INSPECTION OF THE ACFT REVEALED NO FUEL IN THE ENGINE, LESS THAN 1 QT IN THE RT WING TK AND APPROX 17 GALS IN THE LEFT WING TANK.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,533 hours in all; 55 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 1,296 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 186 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 23, 1987; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1D6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:29 am from FTW, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.