Piper PA-24-260 accident near Henrietta, Texas, April 1, 1988
On April 1, 1988 at about 2:52 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-260, registered N8553P, was destroyed in an accident near Henrietta, Texas (Pierce airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- April 1, 1988 · about 2:52 pm local time
- Place
- Henrietta, Texas · Pierce · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-260 · all PA-24-260s on the register
- Registration
- N8553P · registry record · serial 24 4010
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS GIVEN A PRE-FLT WX BRIEFING BY A FSS BRIEFER. HE RCVD A FULL & THOROUGH BRIEFING, EXCEPT THE BRIEFER DID NOT HAVE AN OPNL WX RADAR SET AVAILABLE. THE PLT WAS ADZD OF A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS (TSTMS) TO THE SOUTHWEST, MOVING EAST AT 20 KTS. HE WAS ALSO GIVEN A PIREP CONCERNING A TSTM 20 MI SOUTH OF WICHITA FALLS (SW OF HENRIETTA), RPRTDLY MOVING NORTH. WITNESSES SAID THE ACFT TOOK OFF DOWNWIND, HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING AIRBORNE, THEN MADE AN ABRUPT RGT TURN INTO A LOW CEILING. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, A WITNESS SAW IT COME OUT OF THE CLOUDS & CRASH APRX 1-1/2 MI SOUTHEAST OF THE ARPT. IMPACT OCCURRED IN A STEEP LEFT WING DOWN, SLIGHTLY NOSE LOW, ATTITUDE. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE/MALFUNCTION WAS FND. A WITNESS SAID THAT JUST BFR TAKEOFF, THERE WAS A HVY DOWNPOUR OF RAIN WITH SMALL HAIL, LIGHTNING & THUNDER. THERE WERE INDCNS THE PLT WAS HURRYING TO DEPART BFR A CLNC VOID TIME OF 0900 CST. HE TOOK OFF ABT 8 MIN BFR THE VOID TIME. ACCORDING TO SPECS, THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR WOULD HAVE NEEDED A 3 MIN SPIN-UP TIME TO ACHIEVE ITS RATED PERFORMANCE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,403 hours in all; 116 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 1,309 as pilot in command; 108 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,733 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 5, 1987; 116 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-D4A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TE10 at 2:52 pm
- Destination: DMN Deming NM
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 8, 1,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:59 pm from SPS, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.