Piper PA-28RT-201T accident near Baytown, Texas, June 23, 2023
On June 23, 2023 at about 7:58 pm local time, a 1981 Piper PA-28RT-201T, registered N8446B, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Baytown, Texas. 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 total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the subsequent impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 2023 · about 7:58 pm local time
- Place
- Baytown, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28RT-201T, built 1981 · all PA-28RT-201Ts on the register
- Registration
- N8446B · registry record · serial 28R-8231001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
About 30 minutes into the local flight, 5 to 7 miles east of the airport, the engine began to run rough. The pilot leaned the fuel mixture and the engine returned to a normal operating condition. A few minutes later the engine began to run rough again. The pilot enriched the fuel mixture, turned on the auxiliary fuel pump to the low position, and the engine returned to a normal operating condition. The pilot returned to the airport, entered a left downwind, and elected to fly a normal traffic pattern. When the airplane was on the final leg of the traffic pattern and about 1/2 to 1 mile from the airport, the engine lost total power. The pilot was unable to make the airport and executed a forced landing to an adjacent field. During the forced landing, the landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Due to impact related damage, the engine could not be functionally tested and the reason for the total loss of engine power was not determined.
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
- Unknown or undetermined during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 480 hours in all; 310 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 430 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 27, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,020 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 10, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-FB (piston); 258 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 4 knots, gusting 11
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,600 ft
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from KEFD, 15 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KEFD 232054Z 18004G11KT 10SM SCT046 35/24 A2989
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on April 18, 2024. 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/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Excerpts of Aircraft Records | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Investigation Photograph | 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.