Piper PA-28-140 accident near May, Texas, August 13, 1985
On August 13, 1985 at about 6:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N9912W, was destroyed in an accident near May, Texas. 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 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
- August 13, 1985 · about 6:55 pm local time
- Place
- May, Texas · 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
- N9912W · registry record · serial 28-23352
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THE ENG RPM DROPPED TO 1500 DURING LEVEL CRUISE FLT AT 4200 FT MSL. HE COULD NOT REGAIN PWR. HE DIVERTED THE FLT AND ATTEMPTED TO REACH THE BROWNWOOD, TX, ARPT BUT DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT ALT. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A RUGGED, HEAVILY WOODED AREA. A SUBSEQUENT ENG EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE #3 EXHAUST VALVE STEM HAD SEPARATED. THE EXHAUST VALVE HEAD HEAVILY DAMAGED THE PISTON AND CYLINDER HEAD. REASON FOR THE VALVE STEM SEPARATION IS UNDETERMINED.
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: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 63 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 63 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,466 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 10, 1985; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SEP Stephenville TX at 5:50 pm
- Destination: 21XS Big Spring TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 97°F (36°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.
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.