Piper PA-32-300 accident near Galveston, Texas, November 15, 2001
On November 15, 2001 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N60TT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Galveston, Texas (Scholes Field). It was a personal 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 set the parking brake before exiting the aircraft to remove the wheel chocks.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 15, 2001 · about 8:00 pm local time · cases in 2001
- Place
- Galveston, Texas · Scholes Field · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N60TT · registry record · serial 32-7940151
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had flown the airplane four days prior to the accident date, and after that flight, had inadvertently left the airplane's electrical master switch "ON," which resulted in a discharged battery. In order to start the engine, the pilot connected electrical power to the exterior battery receptacle. The pilot then boarded the airplane and started the engine. After the engine was started, the pilot "set the engine rpm to a low setting," got out of the airplane, and removed the exterior power source and wheel chocks. After removing the wheel chocks, the airplane started to move forward. The pilot attempted to stop the airplane, but was unsuccessful. Subsequently, the unoccupied airplane taxied across the airport into a wet field where it impacted a small ditch.
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: 40 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GLS Galveston TX at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 7:52 pm from GLS
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N60TT on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six, Lance and Saratoga 3,916 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,848 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 5,073 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Scholes International AT Galveston · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,065 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,945 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/FTW02LA039.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.