Piper PA-22-108 accident near Lockhart, Texas, March 7, 2011
On March 7, 2011 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-108, registered N4571Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Lockhart, Texas (Lockhart Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 2011 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lockhart, Texas · Lockhart Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-108 · all PA-22-108s on the register
- Registration
- N4571Z · no longer on the register · serial 22-8080
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Local law enforcement reported that several witnesses observed an airplane, matching the description of the accident airplane, flying low over homes and automobiles on the afternoon of the accident. Later, the wreckage was discovered just west of the airport property. The airplane had impacted trees and came to rest inverted. The empennage was bent and twisted 180 degrees beneath the fuselage and wings. An examination of the airplane and its systems revealed no 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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 0 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-235 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 50R Lockhart TX
- Destination: 50R Lockhart TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 17 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 8:35 pm from KHYI, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.