Piper PA-32R-301 accident near Rocksprings, Texas, April 12, 2000
On April 12, 2000 at about 3:00 am local time, a Piper PA-32R-301, registered N789CA, was destroyed in an accident near Rocksprings, Texas (Rock Springs 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 pilot's failure to maintain proper glidepath. A factor was the dark night light conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 2000 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Rocksprings, Texas · Rock Springs · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-301 · all PA-32R-301s on the register
- Registration
- N789CA · registry record · serial 3213094
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on a dark night visual approach to a lighted runway, the pilot lost visual contact with the runway and elected to perform a go-around. The pilot applied full power, raised the landing gear, and selected 10 degrees of flaps. Subsequently, the airplane struck trees, impacted the ground, and came to a stop against a fence. A postimpact fire consumed the airplane.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 880 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 871 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 16, 1999
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BPT Beaumont TX
- Destination: 69R TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14, 4,050 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 340° at 9 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,700 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from JCT, 40 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.