Piper PA-22-150 accident near Lamesa, Texas, January 15, 2022
On January 15, 2022 at about 1:02 am local time, a 1957 Piper PA-22-150, registered N6916D, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Lamesa, Texas. 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 clearance from terrain during a descent that resulted in an impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 15, 2022 · about 1:02 am local time
- Place
- Lamesa, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-150, built 1957 · all PA-22-150s on the register
- Registration
- N6916D · no longer on the register · serial 22-4833
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the night visual flight rules cross-country flight, the pilot monitored weather conditions on his tablet computer and observed “unspecified meteorological conditions,” which encompassed his intended destination. The pilot elected to divert to an alternate destination and climbed to 4,500 ft msl. The pilot noted that he had a kneeboard with destination airport information, and after diverting, he made notes denoting changes to reflect the new destination. He did not recall if he changed the pattern altitude for the new destination. He attributed this omission to distraction during the flight while he modified his flight plan via the airplane radio. As he approached the new destination, the horizon was not “definite,” but he could see the lights of the city and began a shallow descent. While descending, he noted that the city lights disappeared, and as he contemplated why this happened, the airplane struck the ground. He reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane before the accident and he “just flew it into the ground.” The field elevation at the original destination was 1,561 ft msl, and the elevation new destination was 2,999 ft msl.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute (descent) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Flight planning/navigation › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all; 800 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ADS Addison TX at 10:08 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 020° at 19 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,400 ft; scat at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
Weather report (METAR): METAR KGNC 150035Z AUTO 02019G27KT 5SM HZ SCT018 BKN024 17/M04 A2997 RMK AO2 T01651039=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 1, 2022. 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 | Pilot Narrative of Accident Flight | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation with Pilot | 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.
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.