# NTSB CEN25LA394: Piper PA46, N388TW, Henderson, TX, September 25, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: September 25, 2025, 11:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place: Henderson, TX
- Coordinates: 32.13743, -94.850786 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.1374&lon=-94.8508&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing: Landing gear not configured](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report October 23, 2025
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA North Texas FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 201722
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN25LA394
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/201722/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=201722
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA394

## Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to extend the main landing gear prior to landing, which resulted in a gear up landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s distraction during the approach.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Use of equip/info: use of equip/system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA46-500TP, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md?model=7104622), [All aircraft, 1,391 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md)
- [Landing gear system: main landing gear](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023210): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Not used/operated (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA46-500TP, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023210/cases.md?model=7104622), [All aircraft, 241 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023210/cases.md)
- [Action: lack of action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA46-500TP, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md?model=7104622), [All aircraft, 792 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md)
- [Attention/monitoring: attention](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021510): Personnel issues › Psychological · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA46-500TP, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021510/cases.md?model=7104622), [All aircraft, 226 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021510/cases.md)
- [Landing gear system: gear extension and retract sys](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Not used/operated (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA46-500TP, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230/cases.md?model=7104622), [All aircraft, 416 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230/cases.md)
- [Action: forgotten action/omission](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA46-500TP, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035/cases.md?model=7104622), [All aircraft, 440 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Landing: Miscellaneous/other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900); cases with it: [Piper PA46-500TP, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md?model=7104622), [All aircraft, 1,556 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md)
- [Landing: Landing gear not configured](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA46-500TP, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095/sequence.md?model=7104622), [All aircraft, 584 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095/sequence.md)
- [Landing: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Piper PA46-500TP, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=7104622), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md)
- [Post-impact: Evacuation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/460); cases with it: [Piper PA46-500TP, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/460/sequence.md?model=7104622), [All aircraft, 103 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/460/sequence.md)

## Analysis

During the descent to the destination airport, the pilot noticed that another airplane had departed from the runway and was climbing to enter the traffic pattern. The pilot decided to extend his traffic pattern entry to visually observe the other airplane and to provide separation so he could land. During this time, the main landing gear warning horn activated due to the engine power reduction that occurred, and the pilot then activated the main landing gear warning horn mute switch. The other airplane performed a touch and go, the pilot forgot to extend the main landing gear, and the pilot proceeded to land the airplane. During the gear up landing to the dry asphalt runway, the airplane departed the runway to the right, impacted two runway signs, and came to rest upright on a flat grass field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the underside of the fuselage. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot further reported that he should have performed a final landing check on short final and that he allowed the avoidance of the other airplane to distract him from his normal landing procedures and flow.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N388TW](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N388TW), registered now, S/N 4697018, built 2000 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA46 (500TP)
- Registry model: [Piper PA46-500TP](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa46-500tp) (registry code 7104622) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney PT6A series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pt6a-series) (registry code 52032, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 4697018
- Year built: 2000
- Airframe hours: 2375.5
- Engines: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A 850 horsepower turbo prop
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: TL Lobo Group
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, April 25, 2025, 74.8 hours before
- Departed: F46, Rockwall, TX
- Destination: RFI, Henderson, TX
- Airport: RFI, Rusk County, runway 17/35, 4,005 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment: Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Onboard weather

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 54; injuries: none; private, remote; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review August 26, 2024; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 3,611.4 total, 1,070.5 in this make and model, 3,546.4 as pilot in command, 47.3 in the last 90 days, 4.3 in the last 30 days, 0.6 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observed at: KRFI, 1 nm away
- METAR: KRFI 251555Z AUTO 35005KT 10SM CLR 28/18 A3007 RMK AO2 T02760176

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20250925014679A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250925014679A), Sep 25, 2025: Piper PA46-500TP, Henderson, TX, Substantial damage. Aircraft [privacy data omitted] impacted the ground at 1130 on 25 September 2005 at Rusk County Airport, Henderson, TX. The impact was caused by the landing…

## Docket (6 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 23, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=201722. 21.6 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 1.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19362193&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=N388TW%20NTSB%20Form%206120_1_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Investigation photographs (item 2, PDF, 5 pages, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19361761&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Investigation%20Photographs-Rel.pdf
- Accident flight ADS-B data - google earth pro file (.kmz) (item 3, KMZ, 119 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19365287&FileExtension=kmz&FileName=20250925_A47AC0_601728599-Rel.kmz
- Accident flight ADS-B data - microsoft excel file (.xlsx) (item 4, XLSX, 3.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19364854&FileExtension=xlsx&FileName=20250925_A47AC0_601728599_ADSB-Rel.xlsx
- Piper - PA-46-500TP pilot's operating handbook/airplane flight manual excerpts (item 5, PDF, 5 pages, 3.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19362052&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Piper%20-%20PA-46%20POH_AFM%20Excerpts-Rel.pdf
- Piper - service bulletin 1095 information (item 6, PDF, 4 pages, 11.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19362062&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Piper%20-%20SB%201095_Redacted-Rel.pdf

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.

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