- Date
- February 3, 1987, 10:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Floresville, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3554APiper PA-22-135
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 21, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870203001579A
- Case key
- 22230
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 heard a sudden change in engine sounds during flight and realized his muffler had failed. He was flying about 1000 feet above ground level and initiated a descent to 250 feet. Heat and flames started entering the cockpit through the cabin heat inlet duct. He then made an emergency landing in a soft sandy pasture on a slight incline. The nose gear strut separated just above the wheel and the aircraft flipped inverted. It was quickly consumed by fire. The pilot and passenger escaped with serious and minor burn injuries respectively.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3554A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-135
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-1828
- Airframe hours
- 2,290
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D2, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Both
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wwilliam A. Wyatt,Jr
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 27, 1986 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- T98 · San Marcos, TX
- Destination
- 7T9 · Floresville, TX
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 84 total · 67 in this make and model · 46 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SAT, 35 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.