- Date
- February 17, 1989, 06:05 local (12:05 UTC)
- Place
- Conroe, TX
- Injuries
- 4 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3976WPiper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890217003469A
- Case key
- 22835
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
Failure of the engine crankshaft due to fatigue. The low ceiling, dark night, and trees in the emergency landing area were factors.
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.
Loss of engine power(total) - mech failure/malf
Engine assembly,crankshaft - fatigueCause
Forced landing
In flight collision with object
Weather condition - low ceilingFactor
Light condition - dark nightFactor
Object - tree(s)Factor
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3976W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-942
- Airframe hours
- 11,208
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Brill, Charles
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 10, 1988 · 57 hours before
- Departed
- 3XS7 · Waller, TX
- Destination
- M42 · Grenada, MS
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- CXO
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
- 23
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,433 total · 25 in this make and model · 1,338 as pilot in command · 232 in the last 90 days · 39 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 40° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IAH, 24 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.