Piper PA-32-300 accident near Sweeney, Texas, January 10, 2000
On January 10, 2000, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N8954N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sweeney, Texas. 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 pilot's excessive flare resulting in a hard landing. Factors were the loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, the power lines on final approach and the dark night conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 10, 2000
- Place
- Sweeney, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N8954N · registry record · serial 32-40757
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was in level cruise flight during dark night conditions when the 'engine stopped.' The instructor elected to make a forced landing to a field. On final approach, the instructor noticed what appeared to be power lines. The instructor banked the airplane to parallel the power lines and rotated the airplane to a nose high pitch attitude for touchdown. The touchdown was made on both main wheels; however, 'the nose of the aircraft came down hard,' and the airplane skidded to a stop. An FAA inspector supervised a 35-minute test run of the engine and found no anomalies.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 980 hours in all; 48 in this make and model; 82 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 770 as pilot in command; 350 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,654 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1999; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-KIAS (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Eagle Air Service, LTD.
The flight
- Departed from: LBX Angleton TX
- Destination: 3R1 Bay City TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from LBX, 13 miles away
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.