- Date
- July 23, 1992, 12:50 local (17:50 UTC)
- Place
- Midland, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N84102Piper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 29, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920723026899A
- Case key
- 18538
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
A loss of control for reasons undetermined.
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
During a local area flight the airplane initially conducted a series of touch-and-go landings. After the fourth landing the pilot departed the airport. Witnesses observed the airplane maneuvering approximately 60 ft above the ground across a section of a golf course. After the observed low level maneuvers, the airplane was seen to gain altitude momentarily and bank to the right an estimated 80 deg and descend into a grove of trees. During the autopsy the pathologist determined that the pilot exhibited evidence of significant coronary artery disease and of at least two past heart attacks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N84102
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8116265
- Airframe hours
- 3,663
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- West Texas Gas Inc, doing business as Basin Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- West Texas Gas Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 30, 1992 · 39 hours before
- Departed
- MDD
- Destination
- MDD
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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 52 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MAF, 7 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.