Piper PA-28-140 N98287

Summary

On 9 December 2003 at about 23:56 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N98287 was involved in an accident near Livingston, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 December 2003 at 23:56

Classification

Accident

Location

Livingston, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Livingston Municipal Airport (00R)

Coordinates

30.6778, -95.0128

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N98287

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cleveland → Livingston

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

FTW04FA038

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to compensate for the wind conditions and maintain control of the airplane during the final approach. Contributing factors were the gusty and high wind conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane impacted trees, power lines, and terrain while on final approach at night in gusty and high wind conditions. A witness stated the airplane was "extremely low, and [the airplanes] never fly that low." The airplane traveled over his home, impacted a tree on his neighbor's property, and came to rest in the backyard of an adjacent property, approximately 2,600 feet short of runway 30. Another witness heard the impact, which he initially thought the wind had caused a tree or something to hit power lines. The 73-hour private pilot, who was reported to have accumulated a total of 15.2 hours in the accident airplane, was occupying the right seat. The 21-hour student pilot was occupying the left seat. A wind monitor located 1 mile from the accident site, recorded an average wind speed of 44 mph, a peak wind of 52 mph, and a wind direction of averaging 355 degrees. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.