Piper PA-28-140 accident near Dallas, Texas, February 9, 2008
On February 9, 2008 at about 11:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N4998L, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Dallas, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's delay in aborting the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 9, 2008 · about 11:50 pm local time
- Place
- Dallas, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N4998L · no longer on the register · serial L36342-27A
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was attempting to land a single-engine airplane on a 3,080-foot-long by 80-foot-wide asphalt runway, but made a higher than normal approach and touched down just beyond the runway numbers. During the landing roll-out, the pilot retracted the flaps and applied brake pressure, but determined there was insufficient runway length to safely stop the airplane and aborted the landing. The pilot added full power and attempted to take off again; however, there was not enough airspeed to maintain flight and the airplane struck two trees, then flew another 200 feet, before it came to rest on a parkway. The airplane's left and right wings sustained structural damage. In addition, the pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 70 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E30 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3T0 Gordonville TX
- Destination: F69 Dallas TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.