- Date
- July 21, 1985, 02:20 local (07:20 UTC)
- Place
- Graford, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2323EPiper PA-38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850721032799A
- Case key
- 21805
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 pilot arrived in the mineral wells, TX, area, his intended destination, and stated he couldn't see the airport due to the rotating beacon and runway lights not operating. Notamed to this effect, however, the airport supervisor stated that to the best of his knowledge the runway lights were operating. The pilot diverted to possum kingdom airport near Graford, TX. With only a few minutes of usable fuel. He arrived in the area at 7000 feet MSL and started to spiral down over the airport. During the spiral, at 6000 feet MSL, the engine quit due to fuel exhaustion, the spiral continued and he rolled out on final approach too high and fast. He deliberately touched down beside the runway in soft terrain to prevent an overrun which would have resulted in a collision with buildings. The touchdown was rather hard, causing the nose and right main landing gears to collapse. The aircraft then flipped inverted and stopped.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2323E
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3878A0442
- Airframe hours
- 1,175
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- E.L. Weir
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 18, 1985 · 64 hours before
- Departed
- PVW · Plainview, TX
- Destination
- MWL · Mineral Wells, TX
- Airport
- F35 · Possum Kingdom, runway 2, 3,200 × 60 ft, asphalt
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
- Age
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 129 total · 100 in this make and model · 83 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
- Observed at
- FTW
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.