Piper PA-28-140 accident near Conroe, Texas, May 14, 2003
On May 14, 2003 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N1470X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Conroe, Texas (Montgomery County airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's inadequate compensation for wind. A contributing factor was the gusting wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 2003 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Conroe, Texas · Montgomery County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N1470X · no longer on the register · serial 28-7525307
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was attempting the third landing to runway 19 on his first supervised solo flight. The pilot said, " During the landing flare approximately 5-6 feet off the runway my right wing jerked severely to the left." He said, " I lost control for a couple of seconds before I was able to level the wings. The wind shear tossed the plane 40-50 degrees to the left..." Subsequently, the airplane's nose gear touched down and collapsed, and the airplane came to rest upright on the side of the runway. The pilot reported at the time of the accident, the wind was from 190 degrees at 10 knots. Approximately the time of the accident, the airport weather facility reported the wind from 190 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 17 knots. The pilot had reported 17 hours of total flight time, all in make and model.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 17 hours in all; 17 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,180 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2002; 95 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CXO Conroe TX at 3:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 3,974 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 13 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,900 ft; a few clouds at 2,100 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 3:38 pm from CXO
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.