Piper PA-28-140 accident near Ben Wheeler, Texas, June 21, 2000
On June 21, 2000 at about 11:25 am local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N55769, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ben Wheeler, Texas (Private Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadvertent stall of the aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 21, 2000 · about 11:25 am local time
- Place
- Ben Wheeler, Texas · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N55769 · registry record · serial 28-7325482
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the takeoff/initial climb from the dry turf runway, the airplane experienced a loss of airspeed and stalled as it cleared the marked powerlines at the departure end of the runway. The airplane struck the ground with the right wing. Numerous attempts to contact the pilot were unsuccessful. To date a completed Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120/1/2) has not been submitted to the Safety Board by the pilot.
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
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,400 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: DTO Denton TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 190° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,700 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from TYR, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.