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20031209033619A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-140 · Livingston, TX · December 9, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 9, 2003 · 17:56 local
Place
Livingston, TX
Airport
Livingston Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N98287
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW04FA038
Reported as
Piper PA28140
Reported engine
Lycoming O320E2D
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
70 total0 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days
N98287Registration cancelled Dec 22, 2014 · Piper PA-28-140S/N 28-26147 · Built 1969Airframe modelPiper PA-28-140Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Eyewitness report and evidence at the scene shows that the PA-28-140 impacted a 75 foot tall tree on the centerline of the runway just 2,640 feet from the end of runway 30 at Livingston TX during a night approach during what eyewitnesses described as extremely gusty winds. Investigation at the scene shows good continuity to all flight control cables. Propeller and engine were removed from the wreckage and stored at a local hangar. Both wings were more than 50 percent full of gasoline which appeared clean and uncontaminated, gascolator/fuel strainer/carburetor all contained fuel. Inspection of the engine showed clean spark plugs, both magnetos were sparking, and borescope inspection of cylinders was good. Thumb compression good on all four cylinders. Carburetor air box heat valve was in the open (no heat) position and no evidence of impact witness marks to show otherwise. Carburetor floats appeared to be the proper type and the accelerator pump squirted fuel on the first activation when tested. One eyewitness described seeing the white (landing) light and two small "red and blue" lights inflight, seconds before the crash. Eyewitnesses said they saw the flashing anticollision & ldg lights.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) EYEWITNESS REPORT AND EVIDENCE AT THE SCENE SHOWS THAT THE PA-28-140 IMPACTED A 75 FOOT TALL TREE ON THE CENTERLINE OF THE RUNWAY JUST 2,640 FEET FROM THE END OF RUNWAY 30 AT LIVINGSTON TX DURING A NIGHT APPROACH DURING WHAT EYEWITNESSES DESCRIBED AS EXTREMELY GUSTY WINDS. INVESTIGATION AT THE SCENE SHOWS GOOD CONTINUITY TO ALL FLIGHT CONTROL CABLES. PROPELLER AND ENGINE WERE REMOVED FROM THE WRECKAGE AND STORED AT A LOCAL HANGAR. BOTH WINGS WERE MORE THAN 50 PERCENT FULL OF GASOLINE WHICH APPEARED CLEAN AND UNCONTAMINATED, GASCOLATOR/FUEL STRAINER/CARBURETOR ALL CONTAINED FUEL. INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE SHOWED CLEAN SPARK PLUGS, BOTH MAGNETOS WERE SPARKING, AND BORESCOPE INSPECTION OF CYLINDERS WAS GOOD. THUMB COMPRESSION GOOD ON ALL FOUR CYLINDERS. CARBURETOR AIR BOX HEAT VALVE WAS IN THE OPEN (NO HEAT) POSITION AND NO EVIDENCE OF IMPACT WITNESS MARKS TO SHOW OTHERWISE. CARBURETOR FLOATS APPEARED TO BE THE PROPER TYPE AND THE ACCELERATOR PUMP SQUIRTED FUEL ON THE FIRST ACTIVATION WHEN TESTED. ONE EYEWITNESS DESCRIBED SEEING THE WHITE (LANDING) LIGHT AND TWO SMALL "RED AND BLUE" LIGHTS INFLIGHT, SECONDS BEFORE THE CRASH. EYEWITNESSES SAID THEY SAW THE FLASHING ANTICOLLISION & LDG LIGHTS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW04FA038Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportLivingston, TXThe 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.Dec 9, 2003 · Destroyed

Other reports on N98287 · 1

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

Accident 19730906027579AFinal Approach · Madera, CASep 6, 1973 · Substantial damage