- Date
- May 4, 1985, 20:30 local (May 5, 1985, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Balmorhea, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8083JPiper PA-601
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850504020329A
- Case key
- 21742
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The acft was involved in illegal activity when it was intentionally landed in an open pasture. During the landing, the acft veered left and struck a 30 inch high concrete culvert. The gear collapsed on contact with the culvert. Unknown personnel subsequently drug the acft with a vehicle to a barn. When they attempted to drag the acft into the barn, they tore the wings off and damaged the barn.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8083J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-601
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 610247962138
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-S1A5, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Unknown
- Departed
- Unknown
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.