# Accident 20200728018129A: Piper PA-28R-200, Houston, TX, July 28, 2020 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 28, 2020, 01:42 local time - Place: Houston, TX - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141) - Operator: UZGS - Location: 29.7590° N, 95.3708° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.7590&lon=-95.3708&mi=10 - Aircraft: N15302, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N15302-2023-09-05) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28R-200 (registry code 7102811, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-200) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28R-200 - Reported engine: LYCOMING I0360 SER - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 2 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 150 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN20LA314](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20LA314) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200728018129A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE NIGHT OF 07/27/2020 PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER DEPARTED ON A 14 CFR PART 141 CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM SUGARLAND, TX (SGR) TO TYLER, TX (TYR), HUGO, OK (HHW) THEN ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO SUGARLAND. THE FLIGHT SCHOOL WHERE THE FLIGHT DEPARTED SAID THAT THE AIRCRAFT LEFT ?TOPPED OFF?, RECORDS SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT WAS SERVICED WITH 12.8 GALLONS BEFORE THE FLIGHT. AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN TO TYLER WHERE THE PILOT LANDED AND CHOOSE NOT TO REFUEL HIS AIRCRAFT BECAUSE OF THE $75 ?CALL OUT? FEE. AIRCRAFT THEN FLEW TO HUGO OKLAHOMA WHERE IT DID A LANDING THEN ATTEMPTED TO FLY BACK TO SUGARLAND. PRIOR TO REACHING HIS DESTINATION THE AIRCRAFT THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER AND LANDED 16 MILES SHORT OF THE RUNWAY AT SUGARLAND. INVESTIGATION OF THE CRASH SITE SHOWED: ? AIRCRAFT WAS NOT PRODUCING POWER PRIOR TO IMPACT. ? THE ANGLE OF IMPACT WAS STEEPER THE 45 DEGREES WHICH COULD INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT AERODYNAMICALLY STALLED THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND. ? RIGHT WING WAS SEVERED, HAD THE FUEL CAP STILL INSTALLED AND HAD LESS THAN A HALF-GALLON OF FUEL IN IT. ? LEFT WING WAS SEVERED, HAD THE FUEL CAP STILL INSTALLED AND HAD LESS THAN A HALF-GALLON OF FUEL IN IT. THERE WAS ENOUGH FUEL IN THIS WING FOR US TO CAPTURE AND CONFIRM IT HAD AVGAS IN IT. ? THERE WAS NO POST-ACCIDENT FIRE AND NO FUEL ODORS THAT WE USUALLY SMELL WHEN A FUEL TANK HAS BEEN BREACHED AND FUEL SPILLS AT THE SITE. ## 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 CEN20LA314](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20LA314), Jul 28, 2020: Piper PA28R (N15302), Houston, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The loss of engine power for a reason that could not be determined based on available evidence. ## Other reports on N15302 (4) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20050205000749I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050205000749I), Feb 5, 2005: Piper PA28R200 (N15302), Richmond, TX. (-23) N15302, a PA-28R-200, departed sugar land municipal/hull field (sgr) at 14:54Z. The pilot in command was [privacy data omitted] at 15:15Z the aircraft… - [Incident 19990622032639I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990622032639I), Jun 22, 1999: Piper PA28R200 (N15302), Leesburg, VA, Minor damage. (-23) Instructor pilot initiated a simulated engine failure by reducing power with throttle abeam runway 35 numbers at Leesburg airport, VA. While maneuvering… - [Incident 19970725025149I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970725025149I), Jul 25, 1997: Piper PA28R200 (N15302), Wurtsboro, NY, Minor damage. Engine knock. Oil pressure zero. Landed airport. Hole in crankcase. Indicates connecting rod failure. - [Incident 19920821036899I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19920821036899I), Aug 21, 1992: Piper PA28R200 (N15302), Cleveland, TN, Minor damage. Appears pilot landed with the gear in a retracted position. 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.