Piper PA-24-400 accident near Midland, Texas, March 3, 1988
On March 3, 1988 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-400, registered N8496P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Midland, Texas (Redbird airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
ENCOUNTER WITH SEVERE TURBULENCE WITHIN TOPS OF CONVECTIVE CLOUDS. LEADING TO THIS WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL DANGER OF THE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY, WHICH HE CHOSE TO PENETRATE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 1988 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Midland, Texas · Redbird
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-400 · all PA-24-400s on the register
- Registration
- N8496P · no longer on the register · serial 26-76
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RPRTD THAT WHILE HE WAS CRUISING AT 13,000 FT ON AN IFR FLT, THE ACFT WAS SKIMMING THE TOPS OF RAGGED CUMULUS BUILD-UPS. HE ESTIMATED THE ACFT WAS APRX 200 TO 300 FT BELOW THE TOP OF ONE SUCH CLOUD WHEN SEVERE TURBULENCE WAS ENCOUNTERED. DURING THE ENCOUNTER, A 1500 TO 2000 FT LOSS OF ALTITUDE OCCURRED & THE ACFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. AFTER THE OCCURRENCE THE PLT NOTED THE 'GEAR UP' LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED, THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR WAS INOP, & SOME RIVETS WERE POPPED ON THE WINGS. AT THE DESTINATION, HE WAS UNABLE TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR WITH EITHER THE NORMAL OR EMERGENCY SYSTEMS. HE THEN DIVERTED TO REDBIRD ARPT & MADE A WHEELS-UP LANDING WHICH RESULTED IN MINIMAL ADDITIONAL DAMAGE. THE PRE-FLT WX BRIEFING CALLED FOR TURBULENCE ALONG THE ROUTE WITH OCCASIONAL LIGHT TO MODERATE ACTIVITY BELOW 8000 FT. THE PLT RPRTD HE EXPERIENCED SMOOTH CONDITIONS PRIOR TO THE ACDNT. AFTER THE ACFT WAS PLACED ON JACKS & THE LANDING GEAR MOTOR RELEASE HANDLE WAS 'JIGGLED,' THE NORMAL & EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION SYSTEMS OPERATED NORMALLY.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,050 hours in all; 170 in this make and model; 58 in the last 90 days; 2,050 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,060 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-720-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ELP El Paso TX at 7:00 pm
- Destination: DAL Dallas TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 31, 5,452 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.