Piper PA-31-350 accident near El Paso, Texas, April 12, 1997
On April 12, 1997 at about 11:54 am local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered XASBM, was substantially damaged in an accident near El Paso, Texas (El Paso Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under foreign airline rules (Part 129). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper plannning/decision, which resulted in loss of engine power (both engines) due to fuel exhaustion. Darkness was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 1997 · about 11:54 am local time
- Place
- El Paso, Texas · El Paso Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- XASBM · no longer on the register · serial 7852138
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After approximately 3 hours and 10 minutes of uneventful flight, the pilot of the twin engine airplane declared an emergency, citing that both engines were starving for fuel. At that time, the airplane was about 5 miles south of the destination airport. Unable to safety reach a runway, the pilot elected to land on taxiway 'L.' However, the landing gear did not fully extend before touch down, and the airplane was subsequently damaged.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 810 hours in all; 375 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 810 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,694 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 25, 1997; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,035 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MMY Monterey at 8:30 am
- Destination: ELP
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 090° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 am from ELP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| 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.