# Accident 20040420005609A: Piper PA23250, Fisher County, TX, April 20, 2004

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 20, 2004, 18:15 local time
- Place: Fisher County, TX
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.4669° N, 100.4597° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.4669&lon=-100.4597&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6257H, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6257H) (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
- Reported engine: LYC IO540C4B5
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,430 total, 4 in this make and model, 3 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW04LA113](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW04LA113) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040420005609A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON APRIL 20, 2004, AT APPROXIMATELY 1835 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME (CDT), N6257H, A PIPER PA-23 TWIN ENGINE AIRPLANE OPERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD FOLLOWING AN ENGINE OVERSPEED WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT NEAR SWEETWATER, TEXAS. THE AIRCRAFT NOSE AND RIGHT LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND WERE TORN AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE ATTACHMENT FITTINGS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND PILOT RATED PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 FERRY PERMIT. THIS FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT 1750 CDT, FROM MIDLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MAF). WHILE ENROUTE AT 5,500 FEET MSL CRUISE FLIGHT TO SALLISAW AIRPORT (JSV), OKLAHOMA, THE PILOT REPORTED THE NUMBER TWO ENGINE EXPERIENCED A 700 RPM OVERSPEED. THE PILOT RETARDED THE THROTTLE IN AN ATTEMPT TO REACH SWEETWATER AIRPORT, TEXAS, BUT COULD NOT MAINTAIN PROPER ENGINE RPM. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PILOT EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A MUDDY WHEAT FIELD.

## 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 FTW04LA113](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW04LA113), Apr 20, 2004: Piper PA-23-250 (N6257H), Sweetwater, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The propeller overspeed for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

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.