Accident Details
The accident occurred 44 miles east of Amarillo, Texas. A recovered flight log indicated the intended route via Tulsa, Oklahoma; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Sayre, Oklahoma; Amarillo, Texas; and Tucumcari, New Mexico. While taxiing for takeoff at the departure airport, the pilot received a weather briefing along the route to Oklahoma City.
Witnesses described the weather as foggy with light rain or drizzle. The aircraft collided with a guy wire of a microwave tower at an estimated altitude of 250 feet above ground level. The tower was marked on the Dallas-Fort Worth sectional aeronautical chart.
Pilot Background
The pilot had held a pilot's license since 1944 but was refused a medical certificate on October 20, 1981. Among items found in the pilot's pockets and luggage were insulin, syringes, and other prescription medications.