Piper PA-28-140 accident near Greenville, Texas, July 4, 2000
On July 4, 2000 at about 7:08 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N1709T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greenville, Texas (Majors airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 2000 · about 7:08 pm local time
- Place
- Greenville, Texas · Majors · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N1709T · registry record · serial 28-7125024
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during landing, when he reduced power approximately 20-30 feet over the runway threshold, 'the nose pitched down suddenly.' The pilot added power and pulled back on the yoke and was able to 'level' the airplane. The airplane struck the runway 'hard' in a level attitude, bounced once and skidded to a stop. The pilot and passenger stated to the airport personnel, who responded to the accident site, that their 'approach had been smooth and normal and when they were approximately 15 feet high the aircraft lost lift and fell straight down.'
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: 244 hours in all; 106 in this make and model; 85 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 104 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,292 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 26, 1999; 76 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2F7 Commerce TX at 6:00 pm
- Destination: GVT
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 17, 8,030 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from TRL, 24 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW00LA193.