# Incident 20260905012209I: Piper PA-28-180, Temple, TX, September 5, 2026

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 5, 2026, 13:00 local time
- Place: Temple, TX
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 31.0982° N, 97.3428° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Temple, TX, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.0982&lon=-97.3428&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7516W, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7516W) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-180 (registry code 7102808, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-180
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 112 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260905012209I

## Narrative

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

THE PILOT DEPARTED FROM HILLSBORO MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KINJ) WITH THE INTENDED DESTINATION OF GEORGETOWN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KGTU). NEAR TEMPLE, TEXAS, THE PILOT CHOSE TO DIVERT TO CLOSEST AIRPORT, DRAUGHON-MILLER CENTRAL TEXAS REGIONAL AIRPORT (KTPL), DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS ON HIS FLIGHT ROUTE. THE LANDING, TAXI, AND SHUTDOWN AT TPL WERE NORMAL. AFTER APPROXIMATELY ONE AND A HALF HOURS WAITING AT THE FBO, THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER RESUMED THEIR TRIP TO KGTU.  APPROXIMATELY TWO MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT REPORTED HEARING A LOUD POP NOISE FOLLOWED BY A PROPELLER STOPPAGE.  AT THIS POINT, THE PILOT IMITATED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN AN ADJACENT CORN FIELD. THE OFF-FIELD LANDING RESULTED IN ONLY MINOR AIRCRAFT DAMAGE AND NO REPORTED INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT HAS BEEN TRANSPORTED TO THE PILOT’S HANGAR ON KINJ AND IS AWAITING FURTHER ENGINE EXAMINATION.

## Other reports on N7516W (1)

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

- [Incident 20250124003269I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250124003269I), Jan 24, 2025: Piper PA-28-180 (N7516W), Carlsbad, NM, Minor damage. On January 24, 2025, at 1000 CST, a Piper cherokee 180 aircraft registered to a fixed base operator at cavarn city air terminal departed the runway 14L after…

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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