- Date
- September 22, 1989, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Elgin, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4329APiper PA-22-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890922035899A
- Case key
- 22789
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadvertent closure (deactivation) of the mixture control, which resulted in a loss of engine power, and his failure to maintain sufficient airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. Factors related to the accident were: the gusty wind, and the pilot's apprehension of existing conditions.
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
A farmer rprtd he observed the acft apchg the pvt strip, as if to land from the south, but he did not see it crash. The acft wreckage was found about 1/4 mi from the apch end of rwy 2, when firemen responded to a rprtd grass fire. An investigation revealed the acft had impacted in a steep nose down attitude & burned. No rotational damage was noted on the prop. The mixture control was found at the idle cut-off psn & the throttle was found 2.3' from the forward psn & bent about 90 deg to the rgt. The fuel selector was also found between the left tank & off psn; however, there was extensive damage to the acft due to impact & fire. Before the flt, plt had expressed his apprenhension about landing at the airstrip. This was the 1st flt for the acft since 6/3/89. It had been at the dep arpt during that time for cosmetic maintenance. Aprx 30 mi west at austin, the 1553 CDT wind was from 340 deg at 14 gusting 25 KTS.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4329A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-3684
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hal F. Matheny
- Departed
- T72 · Hearne, TX
- Airport
- NONE · Wood Triple D, runway 2, 1,800 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 600 total · 400 in this make and model · 575 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 14 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AUS, 30 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.
Other investigations on N4329A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.