- Date
- February 14, 1989, 14:10 local (20:10 UTC)
- Place
- Seminole, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5258LPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890214001919A
- Case key
- 22834
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 delay in updating his weather and diverting to an alternate destination, which resulted in fuel exhaustion from lack of fuel. Contributing factors were: the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation at the en route stop, the weather conditions, and the terrain 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
The plt rcvd a wx briefing at 0543 CST for a flt at 0730 CST, from Oklahoma city, OK, to sayre, TX. While at sayre, he did not refuel the acft or update his wx info before departing at 1045 CST on a flt to odessa, TX. While en route, he updated his destn wx at 1239 CST & elected to divert to hobbs, NM, when he learned the wx at odessa was below landing minimums. However, he encountered a headwind & his fuel was exhausted before reaching hobbs. Subsequently, drg an emergency landing in an open field, the gear collapsed on soft/wet terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5258L
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-4555
- Airframe hours
- 2,009
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Robles, Robert R.
- Registered owner
- Robles, Robert R
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 22, 1988 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- OK23 · Sayre, TX
- Destination
- HOB · Odessa, TX
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total · 65 in this make and model · 2,375 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 10 knots
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HOB, 20 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.