Aero Commander 500-B accident near Dallas, Texas, July 8, 1997
On July 8, 1997 at about 8:03 am local time, a Aero Commander 500-B, registered N802TC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dallas, Texas. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot-in-command's failure to follow emergency procedures to reduce drag and maintain best climb airspeed. Factors were the partial loss of engine power due to the cracks in the #1 and #4 cylinders as the result of an unapproved modification of their intake ports, the separation of the magneto lead plate due to its improper installation by the pilot-in-command, the dark night light conditions and the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 1997 · about 8:03 am local time
- Place
- Dallas, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 500-B · all 500-Bs on the register
- Registration
- N802TC · registry record · serial 1015-38
- 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
On the dark early morning departure from Dallas Love Field, the pilot rated passenger was occupying the left seat. During climb out the pilot-in-command realized there was some kind of problem because they were not gaining any altitude, so he 'applied 1/4 flaps to try and gain some altitude.' The airspeed at that time was about 105 knots. He then retracted the flaps because his airspeed had deteriorated to about 90 knots and the aircraft was not gaining altitude. 'Both engines appeared to be developing power, RPM 2,300 Manifold Pressure 26 inches with fuel flow, however he thought the right engine acted as if it were operating only on one mag.' The pilot rated passenger did not notice any problems with the engines until after the airplane struck the first power line and then the right engine began making sounds like it was 'cutting out.' Examination of the aircraft wreckage revealed that both main landing gear were down and the nose landing gear was within the aircraft's crushed nose. The right main landing gear up lock was fractured. The landing gear control lever was found half way between the up and down position, the flap control lever was in the full down position, and the throttle, propeller and mixture control levers were full forward. Examination of the flap actuator revealed it to be fully extended and the exposed actuating rod was measured at 3 inches. According to the aircraft manufacturer, this would equate to the flaps being fully extended. Examination of the right engine revealed the right magneto's ignition lead cover plate was separated from the magneto. The magneto on the right engine was changed by the pilot the day prior at Tulsa, Oklahoma. Cracks were found in cylinders #1 and #4 of the right engine in the vicinity of their intake ports. The cracks were 2 inches in length with black deposits. It appeared that the intake ports had been modified. Performance data indicates the airplane's single engine rate-of-climb was approximately 289 feet per minute with an indicated airspeed of 108 miles per hour. To attain this rate of climb the aircraft's flight manual states that you must 'use maximum continuous power on operating engine (full throttle, 2,575 RPM) leaned to best power fuel flow, cowl flaps as required to control engine temperature within limits, landing gear up, flaps up. Inoperative engine feathered, cowl flaps closed. Climb at best rate of climb speed.'
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: 3,000 hours in all; 1,800 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 2,770 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 21,066 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 23, 1997; 95 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-E1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: M & M Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: DAL at 7:52 am
- Destination: OKC Oklahoma City OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:08 am from DAL, 6 miles away
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.