Piper PA-38-112 accident near San Benito, Texas, February 23, 1988
On February 23, 1988 at about 9:10 pm local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N24447, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Benito, Texas (San Benito Exec airport). It was an instructional 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).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 23, 1988 · about 9:10 pm local time
- Place
- San Benito, Texas · San Benito Exec · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N24447 · registry record · serial 58-79A1123
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PLT WAS MAKING A TOUCH AND GO ON HIS SECOND SOLO FLT. AFTER THE FLAPS WERE RETRACTED AND THE POWER WAS INCREASED, THE ACFT VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND HIT A RUNWAY LIGHT. THE ACFT THEN CONTINUED INTO THE DIRT BESIDE THE RUNWAY WHERE THE NOSE GEAR BROKE AND THE ACFT STOPPED.
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: 19 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,003 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 22, 1987; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T66 at 8:45 pm
- Destination: T66
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 3,200 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:46 pm from HRL, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N24447 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW88LA071.