# Accident 20031209033619A: Piper PA28140, Livingston, TX, December 9, 2003

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 9, 2003, 17:56 local time
- Place: Livingston, TX
- Airport: Livingston Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.6778° N, 95.0128° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.6778&lon=-95.0128&mi=10
- Aircraft: N98287, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N98287-2014-12-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-140 (registry code 7102802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28140
- Reported engine: LYC O320E2D
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 70 total, 0 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW04FA038](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW04FA038) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20031209033619A

## Narrative

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

(-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.

## 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 FTW04FA038](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW04FA038), Dec 9, 2003: Piper PA-28-140 (N98287), Livingston, TX, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: 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.

## Other reports on N98287 (1)

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

- [Accident 19730906027579A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19730906027579A), Sep 6, 1973: Piper PA28140 (N98287), Madera, CA, Substantial damage

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.