Pietenpol GN-1 accident near Waxahachie, Texas, June 24, 2009
On June 24, 2009 at about 1:10 pm local time, a Pietenpol GN-1, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N1736, was destroyed in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Waxahachie, Texas (Midway Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during a landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 2009 · about 1:10 pm local time · cases in 2009
- Place
- Waxahachie, Texas · Midway Regional · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pietenpol GN-1, amateur-built
- Registration
- N1736 · no longer on the register · serial 3591AC
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was making a full-stop landing when the airplane began to veer to the right. He said that this wasn't unusual for the airplane and he attempted to correct the excursion with additional power to “prop wash” the airplane back to the left. The action failed. The pilot then decided to add full power and take off. The pilot was never able to completely regain control of the airplane and it collided with a tree off the left side of the runway. The left wing, left main landing gear, and the propeller showed substantial damage. A postaccident examination revealed no prexisitng mechanical anomalies.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR go-around)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 580 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 21, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 25, 2009; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JWY Waxahachie TX at 1:00 pm
- Destination: JWY Waxahachie TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,999 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 5:05 pm from JWY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 22, 2009. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NTSB Form 6120.1-2, Pilot-operator Aircraft Accident Report | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo 1. Wreckage of N1736. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N1736: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Pietenpol 12 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental C85-12F 90 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Mid-Way Regional · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,064 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,966 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN09CA383.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.