Piper PA 15 accident near Lancaster, Texas, June 8, 2020
On June 8, 2020, a Piper PA 15, registered N4123H, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Lancaster, Texas (Lancaster Rgnl airport). It was an instructional 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 8, 2020
- Place
- Lancaster, Texas · Lancaster Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 15 No Series · all PA 15s on the register
- Registration
- N4123H · registry record · serial 15-6
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor stated that he was acting as a safety pilot for the newly certificated pilot, who was getting familiar with the airplane. They had flow five or six circuits around the traffic pattern and subsequently landed on runway 13. When the airplane was just above taxi speed, it began drifting to the right. The pilot used full left rudder and "stomped on the brake." The airplane veered to the left and then the right wingtip contacted the ground. The outboard one-quarter of the right wing was crumpled and the right main landing gear collapsed under the fuselage. The flight instructor stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 150 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: LNC Lancaster TX
- Destination: LNC Lancaster TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 6,500 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.59 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 1, 2020. 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 | Flight Instructor Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.