Border Patrol C-182 down

[DNall]

Just a quick tidbit I got in the email. Border Patrol Cessna 182 observation aircraft, lost control & went in near McAllen, one aboard killed, 32yo Agent. I can provide a little more if anyone's interested, but nothing more on cause yet.

Safety issues obviously, but depending on cause, watch how it effects ops potentially.

[smj58501]

What State did it go down in?

[SarDragon]

What State did it go down in?

Texas?

[BillB]

Yep McAllen is in Texas

[DNall]

Sorry about that, yeah Texas:

Border Patrol Agent Lost In Texas C-182 Accident
Plane Goes Down While On Patrol For Illegal Immigrants
While on routine patrol for undocumented immigrants, a Border Patrol agent apparently lost control of his aircraft and crashed near San Miguel , TX Wednesday afternoon.

Clint Thrasher, 32, died when his Cessna 182 went down about 15 miles north of San Manuel, Border Patrol spokesman Oscar Saldana said. The accident happened about 12:30 pm local time, as Thrasher flew above Brooks County's Santa Fe Ranch, a mile north of the Hidalgo County line.

"He lost his life in a tragic aircraft accident while protecting our country and preserving our way of life," the agency said in a written statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Thrasher family as we support them during this very difficult time."

Authorities still were investigating why the plane crashed, Saldana said. Border Patrol helicopters and planes regularly patrol ranch land. Thrasher, of McAllen , had been with the agency for 10 years, according to the Associated Press.

Thrasher took off from McAllen-Miller International Airport between 6:00 and 7:00 am, according to Phil Brown, MFE's aviation director.

[JohnKachenmeister]

The Border Patrol has an STC on their 182's that install a glass bubble door and a side-facing right seat.  I always wondered why our 182's didn't use that STC.

It is probably irrelavant to the cause of the crash., but the fact that it was a 182 reminded me.

I just hope the cause was not hostile fire from the ground.  Unfortunately, that has to be considered.

[DNall]

I just hope the cause was not hostile fire from the ground.  Unfortunately, that has to be considered.

I didn't want to speculate about that, but there's been a lot of word lately of the cartels moving back into the immigrant smuggling locations. They've been (are still) tied up in a civil war, but if they ever turn that power at us then it's gonna hurt. If they're taking over those logistics points, then they might next flex their muscles, or they might be smart & try to control the situation to bring the pressure down so they can move more product. There's goign to be a lot more drugs moving with people now though.

[RiverAux]

STC?

[PhotogPilot]

STC?

Supplemental Type Certificate. Basically any modifications to an aircraft have to be approved and an STC issued. Mods designed to be massed produced and installed on a particular aircraft are covered under the modifier's STC, provided the installation is done in accordance with the FCC approval. ie, the FLIR UltraMedia II gyro camera pod has an STC for the Bell 206B JetRanger. The owner of the aircraft does not have to apply for a new STC provided the installation is done as specified.

That's the ClifNotes version anyway.

[sardak]

From the preliminary NTSB report.

On April 25, 2007, approximately 1210 central daylight time, a Cessna 182R, N6277E, was destroyed after impacting terrain while maneuvering near Rachal, Texas. The airplane was registered to the United States Border Patrol Air Operations Unit, El Paso, Texas. The certificated airline transport pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the routine air patrol mission, which was conducted as a Public Use flight. No flight plan was filed. The local flight departed the McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE), McAllen, Texas, about 0630.

In an interview conducted under the supervision of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), a border patrol agent who witnessed the accident reported that the airplane was circling left overhead in support of a local mission. The agent stated that while turning downwind from a heading of south to a heading of east the airplane's angle of bank steepened. Subsequently, the airplane banked to the right, nosed over and assumed a steep nose down attitude before impacting terrain. A post-crash fire consumed the airplane from the aft cabin bulkhead forward. The agent further reported that the wind was out of the north and gusting.

Mike