Piper PA28R-200 accident near Lubbock, Texas, June 30, 2007
On June 30, 2007 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Piper PA28R-200, registered N41585, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lubbock, Texas (Lubbock International 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 inadvertent stall and subsequent hard landing as result of the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed and his delayed relinquishing of the airplane's controls when requested by the flight instructor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 2007 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lubbock, Texas · Lubbock International Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28R-200 · all PA28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N41585 · registry record · serial 28R-7435203
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot failed to maintain airspeed on short final resulting in a stall and a hard landing. The 253-hour private pilot and the 700-hour certificated flight instructor (CFI) were performing a power-off 180-degree approach to land when they overshot the runway while turning to final. Once realigned with the extended centerline of the runway, the flight instructor observed that the airspeed was indicating 70-75 knots while the single-engine airplane descended through an altitude of 200-feet above ground level (AGL). As the flight continued to descend to approximately 30-feet AGL, the private pilot "applied excessive back pressure" and established a pronounced nose-high attitude. The flight instructor attempted to push the nose of the airplane down; however, he was unable to overpower the student. The flight instructor reported that the pilot "did not immediately relinquish the controls when requested by the CFI." Once the flight instructor regained the airplane's controls, he added power to counteract the descent; however, the airplane stalled approximately 15-feet AGL and landed hard on the runway. An examination of the airplane revealed structural damage to both wings. No pre-impact anomalies with the airplane's controls were reported.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 253 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: November 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 700 hours in all; 62 in this make and model; 114 in the last 90 days; 48 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: January 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,558 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 1, 2007; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F83 Abernathy TX at 6:10 pm
- Destination: LBB Lubbock TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35L, 11,500 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from LBB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.