Cessna 402 accident near Harlingen, Texas, August 28, 1994
On August 28, 1994 at about 7:10 pm local time, a Cessna 402, registered N966JW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Harlingen, Texas (Valley International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 7 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED RESULTING IN AN INADVERTENT STALL. FACTORS WERE A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER ON ALL ENGINES DUE TO WORN AND FOULED SPARK PLUGS AND INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL, AIRCRAFT WEIGHT BEYOND LIMITATIONS, AND HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 1994 · about 7:10 pm local time · cases in 1994
- Place
- Harlingen, Texas · Valley International · cases near this airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 7 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 402 · all 402s on the register
- Registration
- N966JW · no longer on the register · serial 402-0066
- 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
FOLLOWING UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO START THE ENGINES, A MECHANIC REMOVED THE 'P' LEADS ON ALL MAGNETOS MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO COMPLETE THE RUN-UP CHECKS. SECONDS AFTER GEAR RETRACTION THE AIRPLANE VELOCITY DECREASED AND FROM ABOUT 200 FEET MSL, A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE TO A PLOWED FIELD. PASSENGERS REPORTED HEARING THE STALL WARNING. ENGINE CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED. DIFFERENTIAL COMPRESSION CHECKS FOUND 4 CYLINDERS BELOW 60 PSI FOR THE LEFT AND 5 CYLINDERS BELOW 60 PSI FOR THE RIGHT. POINTS ON ALL MAGNETOS WERE BURNED AND THE LEFT MAGNETO ON EACH ENGINE WOULD NOT FIRE. ALL SPARK PLUGS EXHIBITED WEAR AND DEPOSITS IN THE ELECTRODES. BOTTOM PLUGS FROM THE LEFT ENGINE CYLINDERS #3 AND #5 WOULD NOT FIRE AND THE BOTTOM PLUGS FROM THE RIGHT ENGINE CYLINDERS #1, #3, #4, #5, AND #6 WOULD NOT FIRE. TOP PLUGS FROM THE RIGHT ENGINE CYLINDERS #5 AND #6 WOULD NOT FIRE. THE LEFT ENGINE FUEL CONTROL UNIT THROTTLE BODY WAS NOT CLAMPED AT THE TURBOCHARGER. THERE WERE 6 MALE PASSENGERS, THEIR BAGGAGE, AND 120 GALLONS OF FUEL ABOARD. DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS CALCULATED AT 2,600 FEET.
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, commercial pilot, foreign licence, student
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: airship
- Flight time: 2,400 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 180 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 2,100 as pilot in command; 1,260 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 24, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 6,300 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: MMA Matamoros
- Runway 17L, 5,950 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:10 pm from HRL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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 N966JW the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N966JW: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 402 174 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-E 6 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Valley International · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,061 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,979 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N966JW 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/FTW94FA282.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.