Piper PA46-500TP accident near San Antonio, Texas, January 18, 2008
On January 18, 2008 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Piper PA46-500TP, registered N169CA, was destroyed in an accident during approach (IFR initial approach) near San Antonio, Texas (San Antonio International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to execute an instrument approach. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's impairment due to recent use of over-the-counter medication.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 18, 2008 · about 6:30 pm local time · cases in 2008
- Place
- San Antonio, Texas · San Antonio International · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA46-500TP · all PA46-500TPs on the register
- Registration
- N169CA · registry record · serial 4697300
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot attempted to intercept an instrument landing system localizer three times without success. The pilot told Air Traffic Approach Control that he was having trouble performing a "coupled" approach and that he was trying to "get control" of the airplane. The airplane disappeared from radar, subsequently impacting a field and then a barn. The airplane came to rest in an upright position and a postcrash fire ensued. A review of radar and voice data for the flight revealed that during the three approach attempts the pilot was able to turn to headings and climb to altitudes when assigned by air traffic control. Postmortem toxicology results were consistent with the regular use of a prescription antidepressant, and the recent use of a larger-than-maximal dose of an over-the-counter antihistamine known to cause impairment. There were no preimpact anomalies observed during the airframe and engine examinations that would have prevented normal operation.
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
- Loss of control in flight during approach (IFR initial approach) defining event
- Loss of visual reference during uncontrolled descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › OTC medication › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,049 hours in all; 58 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 29, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 111 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, August 31, 2007; 66 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,850 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ACT Waco TX at 5:02 pm
- Destination: SAT San Antonio TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 30L, 8,502 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 600 ft; clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 6:04 pm from SSF, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
11 documents, released by the NTSB on May 26, 2009. 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 | Witness Statement 1 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statement 2 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Voice Transcripts | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Sheriff Department Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Digital Photo 1, Rear View | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Digital Photo 2, Right Side View | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Digital Photo 3, Front View | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Tox Letter | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N169CA on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-46 Malibu, Mirage, Matrix and M-Class 1,694 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,840 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A 384 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- San Antonio International · nearest airport
- Waco Regional · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,061 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,985 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/DFW08FA057.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.