- Date
- April 1, 1988, 08:52 local (14:52 UTC)
- Place
- Henrietta, TX
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8553PPiper PA-24-260
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 16, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880401007459A
- Case key
- 22547
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 plt was given a pre-flt wx briefing by a fss briefer. He rcvd a full & thorough briefing, except the briefer did not have an opnl wx radar set available. The plt was adzd of a line of thunderstorms (tstms) to the southwest, moving east at 20 KTS. He was also given a PIREP concerning a tstm 20 mi south of wichita falls (sw of Henrietta), rprtdly moving north. Witnesses said the acft took off downwind, had difficulty getting airborne, then made an abrupt rgt turn into a low ceiling. Shortly thereafter, a witness saw it come out of the clouds & crash aprx 1-1/2 mi southeast of the arpt. Impact occurred in a steep left wing down, slightly nose low, attitude. No preimpact part failure/malfunction was fnd. A witness said that just bfr takeoff, there was a hvy downpour of rain with small hail, lightning & thunder. There were indcns the plt was hurrying to depart bfr a clnc void time of 0900 CST. He took off abt 8 min bfr the void time. According to specs, the attitude indicator would have needed a 3 min spin-up time to achieve its rated performance.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8553P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24 4010
- Airframe hours
- 3,733
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-D4A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jeffery W. Pierce
- Registered owner
- Pierce, Jeffery W.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 5, 1987 · 116 hours before
- Departed
- TE10
- Destination
- DMN · Deming, NM
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- NONE · Pierce, runway 8, 1,500 × 100 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
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,403 total · 116 in this make and model · 1,309 as pilot in command · 43 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 18 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SPS, 21 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.