Piper PA-25-235 accident near Pearland, Texas, April 7, 2001
On April 7, 2001, a Piper PA-25-235, registered N4514Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pearland, Texas (Clover Field). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to refuel the airplane, which resulted in fuel exhaustion while in the traffic pattern.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 2001
- Place
- Pearland, Texas · Clover Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-235 · all PA-25-235s on the register
- Registration
- N4514Y · no longer on the register · serial 25-4066
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot returned to his home base after a banner towing flight. He experienced difficulty releasing the banner and landed on the grass between two runways. He dragged the banner on the ground and it eventually released; however, he was too close to the end of the runway to stop, so he performed a go-around. While he was in the traffic pattern, "he ran out of fuel" and the engine "quit." The pilot was unable to make it back to the runway and elected to make a forced landing into trees in a residential area. Subsequently, the airplane impacted the trees.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 801 hours in all; 137 in this make and model; 147 in the last 90 days; 58 in the last 30 days; 739 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 5, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LVJ Pearland TX at 10:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14L, 2,800 ft by 90 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 150° at 15 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N4514Y the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.