Piper PA-28R-201T accident near Smithville, Texas, October 2, 1983
On October 2, 1983 at about 3:30 am local time, a Piper PA-28R-201T, registered N2541Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Smithville, Texas (Smithville Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 2, 1983 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Smithville, Texas · Smithville Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-201T PA-28R-201 · all PA-28R-201Ts on the register
- Registration
- N2541Q · no longer on the register · serial 28R770367
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CRUISE AT 8,500 FT MSL THE ENG QUIT. A NIGHT EMERGENCY LANDING WAS MADE AT AN ARPT THAT THE ACFT HAD JUST FLOWN OVER. ON FINAL APPROACH THE PLT COULD NOT SEE THRU THE WINDSHIELD VERY WELL DUE TO OIL BUILDING UP ON THE WINDSHIELD. THE PLT HELD THE GEAR UP UNTIL A LANDING ON THE RWY WAS ASSURED. AFTER CROSSING A ROAD IN FRONT OF THE RWY THE PLT STARTED THE GEAR DOWN. THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT TIME FOR THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR & NOSE GEAR TO LOCK IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN 366 FT BEYOND THE THRESHOLD. ENG TEARDOWN & METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE #4 CONNECTING ROD HAD FAILED DUE TO FATIGUE. SEM VIEWING OF THE ORIGIN AREA REVEALED A SINGLE FATIGUE INITIATION SITE AT A CHANGE IN CONTOUR ON THE FLANGE END. THE IRREGULAR CONTOUR WAS NOT FOUND AT THE OTHER 3 FLANGE ENDS. ALSO, OXIDE INCLUSIONS & FORGING DEFECTS WERE FOUND ALONG THE ORIGINAL ROD SURFACE.
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: 67 hours in all; 41 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 31 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,103 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 2, 1983; 103 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,140 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BBD Brady TX
- Destination: 89R Spring TX
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 17, 3,200 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 35 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 3:30 am from AUS, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.