Piper PA-31-350 incident near Henderson, Texas, April 19, 1988
On April 19, 1988 at about 2:08 am local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N59981, was involved in an incident near Henderson, Texas (Rusk County airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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 incident. 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 19, 1988 · about 2:08 am local time
- Place
- Henderson, Texas · Rusk County · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N59981 · no longer on the register · serial 31-7552070
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT EXPERIENCED TOTAL LOSS OF POWER FROM THE LEFT ENGINE AND A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER FROM THE RIGHT ENGINE DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THE MAIN FUEL TANKS ON WHICH THE ENGINES WERE OPERATING WERE FOUND EMPTY BUT THERE WAS AN ADEQUATE FUEL SUPPLY IN THE AUXILIARY TANKS. ALTHOUGH OPERATING IN IFR CONDITIONS, THE PILOT ACCOMPLISHED A SAFE LANDING ON AN AIRPORT. TESTS SHOWED ERRONEOUS FUEL FLOW INDICATIONS AND DEFECTIVE FUEL FLOAT SENSORS.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2,365 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,453 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, April 10, 1988; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Exchange, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: SHV Shreveport LA at 1:11 am
- Destination: TYR Tyler TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 34, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:18 am from GGG
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.