Accident Victim Was Famous Surgeon, Also Involved In Lawsuit

The identity of one of two men killed onboard a Cessna Citation 500 that went down Saturday during an emergency landing attempt at Houston's Hobby airport has been identified by the victim's wife. It was also revealed the aircraft, a 1972 Citation registered N505K, s/n 500-0004, was at the center of an ongoing Harris County lawsuit.

According to a story in the Houston Chronicle, cardiologist Antonio Pacifico died when the Citation went down shortly after its pilot -- whose identity has not been released publicly, though he was believed to have also been a mechanic -- radioed Hobby's tower requesting an emergency landing.

The Chronicle revealed the nine-passenger Citation's maintenance record "was a key subject" of ongoing litigation involving Pacifico, a surgeon best known for treating athletes with irregular heartbeats, including ex-Houston Rocket Hakeen Olajuwon.

However, Pacifico's attorney Ben Harvie also stated there were "other financial issues in the lawsuit," so it is not known to what extent the litigation involved the jet.

Pacifico, 55, was a clinical associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine. In 2003, he led a group of investors that bought the abandoned 50-story Enron building in downtown Houston.

Pacifico was also involved in several real estate deals with Olajuwon. and was a key investor in several other major real-estate purchases.

FAA spokesman Roland Herwig said the Citation had been on a "maintenance test flight" en route to Corpus Christi, TX, when it was told by the field's tower to expedite its departure in order to clear the runway for a Southwest 737 inbound. The Southwest jet had declared an emergency after receiving an indication of high fuel temperature, which was later proven to be faulty.

As was reported in Real Time Saturday by Aero-News, moments after the Citation lifted off the pilot declared an emergency as well, asking to return to the field. The tower gave the OK, but as the Citation turned towards the runway it fell to the runway, bursting into flames as it skidded nearly 300 feet.

The Southwest plane, whose crew witnessed the accident, diverted to Bush Intercontinental Airport.

The NTSB investigator arrived on the scene Saturday afternoon, though spokeswoman Lauren Peduzzi said it might take as long as one year before the full details of the accident are known.

"Our investigator arrived on the scene after 4 p.m., so he had only about an hour of daylight left," Peduzzi said. "Most of the work he will need to do in the immediate future is examine the wreckage. I am sure that is what he is doing today. He will examine the wreckage, draw diagrams and interview any eyewitnesses to the crash."

"Incidentally, he will be drawing upon the maintenance records of the plane," added Peduzzi.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov