# Accident 19961113035349A: Piper PA23250, Plainview, TX, November 13, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 13, 1996, 23:05 local time
- Place: Plainview, TX
- Airport: Hale County Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.1891° N, 101.7209° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.1891&lon=-101.7209&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5443, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5443-2011-06-06) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-23-250 (registry code 7102308, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23-250) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA23250
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW97LA040](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA040) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19961113035349A

## Narrative

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

PILOT ERRONEOUSLY SET ALTIMETER CAUSING AIRCRAFT TO DESCENT BELOW MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE, STRUCK THE GROUND. (-23) WHILE IN IMC AND PRIOR TO ATTAINING VISUAL REFERENCE FOR THE INTENDED RUNWAY THE PILOT INITIATED A DESCENT BELOW THE MDA OF 3980 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE SURFACE AT 3372 FEET ABOUT 3/4 OF A MILE SOUTHWEST OF THE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 04. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE EXTENDED RUNWAY CENTERLINE WITH THE GEAR AND FLAPS EXTENDED. THE PILOT LOST CONSCIOUSNESS FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES AND SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. A POST CRASH INVESTIGATION REVEALED A NORMAL FUNCTIONING ALTIMETER THAT READ 3650 FEET AND WAS SET 30.67. THE PILOT READ BACK THE LUBBOCK ALTIMETER SETTING OF 30.41 TO ATC WHEN CLEARED TO DESCEND FOR THE APPROACH ABOUT TEN MINUTES BEFORE THE CRASH. THE PILOT ALLEGES THAT HE HAD THE ALTIMETER SET CORRECTLY (30.41) BUT THAT HE INADVERTENTLY CHANGED IT AFTER THE CRASH IN A HURRIED ATTEMPT TO TURN OFF ALL ELECTRICAL SWITCHES. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS STILL IN THE CLOUDS AND BELIEVED THE AIRCRAFT TO BE LEVEL AT THE MDA OF 3940 FEET WHEN THE CRASH OCCURRED. HE WAS UNABLE TO GIVE A REASON FOR HIS PREMATURE DESCENT TO THE SURF                                       ACE--A DESCENT OF 608 FEET BELOW THE MDA.

## 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 FTW97LA040](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA040), Nov 13, 1996: Piper PA-23-250 (N5443), Plainview, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's continued descent below the minimum descent altitude (MDA). Factors relating to the accident were: darkness, the adverse weather conditions.

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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