Piper PA-46-310P accident near Houston, TX
On September 18, 2005, a Piper PA-46-310P (airplane) was involved in an accident near Houston, TX. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 18, 2005
- Place
- Houston, TX
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-310P · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 29.587°N, 95.161°W
- NTSB ID
- 20050922X01512
Official records · DFW05FA241
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Radio Communications: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 17, 2005, about 2124 central daylight time, a Piper PA-46-310P single-engine airplane, N69146, was destroyed when it collided with terrain following a loss of engine power shortly after takeoff from Ellington Field Airport (EFD), near Houston, Texas. The private pilot and his passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was registered to a private corporation and operated by the pilot. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The 155-nautical mile cross-country flight was originating at the time of the accident and was destined for the Rusty Allen Airport (5R3), near Lago Vista, Texas. A witness, located near the south end of runway 17R, first observed the airplane while it was on its takeoff roll. The witness reported that as the airplane flew past him, left to right, at an altitude of about 200 feet, he detected no notable problems. The airplane continued to climb and shortly after, while at an altitude of approximately 300 to 400 feet, the engine started "sputtering." The engine "sputtered" for about two seconds and then there were no more audible engine sounds. Due to the prevailing darkness, the witness could only observe the airplane's navigation lights as the airplane entered a left turn followed by a sharp descent to the ground. On impact, the airplane erupted in flames. A second witness was directly south of the airport when he first observed the airplane flying in a southerly direction. The witness stated the airplane appeared to
Probable cause
The pilot's improper in-flight decision to maneuver back to the departure airport following a loss of engine power on initial climb. Contributing factors were the loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, and the dark night conditions.
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Browse: Texas · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
