# Accident 19960820023449A: Piper PA36300, Hale Center, TX, August 20, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 20, 1996, 14:00 local time
- Place: Hale Center, TX
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: BOYG
- Location: 34.0605° N, 101.8410° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.0605&lon=-101.8410&mi=10
- Aircraft: N57831, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N57831-2013-04-24) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-36-300 (registry code 7103612, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-36-300) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-720 series (registry code 41546, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-720-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA36300
- Reported engine: LYC IO720A1B
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 19,250 total, 60 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW96LA353](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW96LA353) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960820023449A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF, LOST POWER, MADE EMERGENCY LANDING. DAMAGE TO FUSELAGE AND WINGS. (.4)THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL FROM HIS 3,000 FOOT DIRT AIRSTRIP, HE NOTICED THAT THE AIRSPEED WAS SLOWER THAN NORMAL. AFTER DUMPING A SMALL AMOUNT OF WHEAT SEED, THE AIRSPEED 'BECAME NORMAL' AND THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED TO ABOUT 75 FEET AGL IN A SHALLOW LEFT TURN. APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE NORTH OF THE STRIP, THE AIRPLANE OVER FLEW A HEAVILY WATERED MILO FIELD, AND IT BEGAN TO DESCEND. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE LOWERED THE NOSE AND AGAIN 'DUMPED WHEAT SEED FOR APPROXIMATELY 750 FEET,' BUT THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO DESCEND. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT 'THE AIRPLANE STALLED APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND' AND SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED THE GROUND. IN PREPARATION FOR THE AERIAL SPREADING OF WHEAT SEED, THE HOPPER WAS LOADED WITH SEED, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS SERVICED WITH ABOUT 40 GALLONS OF FUEL. DURING THE INVESTIGATION, A WEIGHT AND BALANCE CALCULATION WAS MADE USING FIGURES PROVIDED BY THE OPERATOR. THE CALCULATION SHOWED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS 50 POUNDS OVER ITS MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT LIMIT OF 4,400 POUNDS. DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS                                                                  CALCULATED TO BE 5700 FEET. (-23) PILOT TOOK OFF WITH AIRCRAFT LOADED IN EXCESS OF THE MAXIMUM GROSS TAKE-OFF WEIGHT LIMIT AUTHORIZED IN THE PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK AND THE AIRCRAFT TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET. AIRCRAFT'S MOST RECENT WEIGHT AND BALANCE CALCULATIONS INCORRECTLY QUOTED A MAX GROSS TAKE-OFF WEIGHT HIGHER THAN THE APPROVED MAX GROSS TAKE-OFF WEIGHT. AIRCRAFT OWNER WAS ALSO USING WRONG POH FOR THE AIRCRAFT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW96LA353](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW96LA353), Aug 20, 1996: Piper PA-36-300 (N57831), Hale Center, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation and failure to obtain and/or maintain adequate airspeed after takeoff, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush. The overweight condition of…

## Other reports on N57831 (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19770912031309A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19770912031309A), Sep 12, 1977: Piper PA36285 (N57831), Byromville, GA, Substantial damage. Hartzell prop model HC-C2YK-1BF,s/n CR19974,hub broken in two parts inboard of thrust bearing.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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