Piper PA38 accident near Decatur, Texas, November 6, 2005
On November 6, 2005 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Piper PA38, registered N2593P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Decatur, Texas (Decatur Municipal Airport). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 6, 2005 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Decatur, Texas · Decatur Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA38 · all PA38s on the register
- Registration
- N2593P · no longer on the register · serial 38-79A0866
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine started to run rough about a minute after takeoff. The 475-hour student pilot reported a 500 RPM drop. The pilot applied carburetor heat and switched fuel tanks, but neither resulted in an increase in engine power. The pilot leveled-off at approximately 600 feet above the ground. About 3 or 4 minutes into the flight, a severe engine vibration developed and the pilot elected to shut-down the engine and attempted to land in a pasture approximately two miles from the airport. During the landing roll the airplane impacted a fence resulting in structural damage to the wings and additional damage to the propeller. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector that traveled to the accident site noted the airplane's engine chip detector light was illuminated and that the propeller was hard to pull through. The reason for the loss or engine power could not be 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
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 475 hours in all; 225 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,222 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2005; 110 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LUD Decatur TX
- Destination: PVW Plainview TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 9:25 pm from LUD, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.