Piper PA-28-140 accident near Kerrville, Texas, September 22, 1988
On September 22, 1988 at about 7:38 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N3621K, was destroyed in an accident near Kerrville, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 22, 1988 · about 7:38 pm local time
- Place
- Kerrville, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N3621K · registry record · serial 28-23657
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE COMMERCIAL PLT WAS 6 MILES FROM HIS RANCH AND NOTED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT, ACCOMPANIED BY A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE. HE TURNED BACK TO THE RANCH FOR A FORCED LANDING. HE OVERFLEW THE LANDING AREA, DECIDED HE WAS TOO HIGH FOR LANDING AND TURNED FOR ANOTHER APPROACH. ENGINE PERFORMANCE WAS DETERIORATING, AND THE SECOND APPROACH WAS TOO LOW. THE PLT STALLED THE ACFT JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT WITH A TREE ON THE APPROACH PATH. THE ACFT CAME TO REST 20 YARDS SHORT OF THE LANDING STRIP. THE PLT SAW FLAMES FROM THE ENGINE AREA AND EXITED THE PLANE. HE ATTEMPTED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH DIRT, TO NO AVAIL. A POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION BY AN FAA INVESTIGATOR REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE EXHAUST MUFFLER HAD SPLIT.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 695 hours in all; 610 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 695 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SSF San Antonio TX at 5:30 pm
- Destination: SSF
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 DEN88LA210.