Piper PA-34-200 accident near Crowell, Texas, May 18, 1985
On May 18, 1985 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-200, registered N55800, was destroyed in an accident near Crowell, Texas (Foard Country airport). It was a business 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
- May 18, 1985 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Crowell, Texas · Foard Country · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200 · all PA-34-200s on the register
- Registration
- N55800 · no longer on the register · serial 34-7350246
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT LANDED WITH A LIGHT TAIL WIND ON A 3200 FT RWY WHICH SLOPES DOWNWARD. THE BRAKES FADED AND BECAME INEFFECTIVE DUE TO HEAVY APPLICATION. A GO-AROUND WAS ATTEMPTED; HOWEVER, FLYING SPEED WAS NOT OBTAINED AND THE ACFT IMPACTED THE GROUND ABOUT 200 FT BEYOND THE END OF THE RWY.
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: multi-engine land
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1E6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F01 Quanah TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,200 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from CDS, 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.