Amateur-built IV-P accident near Hamilton, Texas, May 25, 2015
On May 25, 2015 at about 6:35 pm local time, a 2006 amateur-built IV-P, registered N725HP, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Hamilton, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to continue flight into known severe thunderstorm conditions, which resulted in the loss of engine power during the descent due to the engine’s ingestion of water and ice and a subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 2015 · about 6:35 pm local time
- Place
- Hamilton, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built IV-P, built 2006
- Registration
- N725HP · registry record · serial LIV-508
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while flying the airplane at flight level 200 in instrument meteorological conditions, including rain showers, he heard a "loud bang," which he believed was due to an engine compressor stall. About 1 minute later, the pilot heard another "loud bang," and the airplane encountered heavier rain and moderate turbulence. The pilot subsequently asked an air traffic controller to clear the flight to descend to 13,000 ft mean sea level (msl) due to approaching severe weather and the controller cleared the descent. When the airplane approached 13,000 ft msl, the pilot applied engine power to arrest the descent. During the power application, the pilot realized that the engine had lost power. The pilot declared an emergency and subsequently executed a forced landing to a field. Postaccident examination and functional testing of the engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have caused the engine power loss. A review of weather information showed that the airplane encountered severe thunderstorm activity and icing conditions along the route of flight and that severe weather warnings were issued within the hour before the flight. The pilot reported that, before the flight, he obtained a weather briefing through an online weather service and that, during the flight, he was using onboard weather equipment. Therefore, he should have been aware of the severe weather conditions along the flight route. The loss of engine power was consistent with the engine ingesting water and ice during the descent, which resulted in an engine flameout.
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 engine power (total) during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Convective weather › Thunderstorm › Effect on equipment
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Rain › Effect on equipment
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Convective weather › Thunderstorm › Effect on equipment
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Rain › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,200 hours in all; 130 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 11,000 as pilot in command; 300 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 22, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 521.3 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, January 19, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 3,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Turbine Power Technologies M601D (turboprop); 471 hours total
- Operator: Tailwinds LTD
The flight
- Departed from: NEW New Orleans LA at 4:40 pm
- Destination: SJT San Angelo TX
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 20 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,100 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 pm from MNZ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN15LA241.