Piper PA-28-180 accident near Seminole, Texas, February 14, 1989
On February 14, 1989 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N5258L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Seminole, Texas. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S DELAY IN UPDATING HIS WEATHER AND DIVERTING TO AN ALTERNATE DESTINATION, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION FROM LACK OF FUEL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION AT THE EN ROUTE STOP, THE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE TERRAIN CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 14, 1989 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Seminole, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N5258L · no longer on the register · serial 28-4555
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RCVD A WX BRIEFING AT 0543 CST FOR A FLT AT 0730 CST, FROM OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, TO SAYRE, TX. WHILE AT SAYRE, HE DID NOT REFUEL THE ACFT OR UPDATE HIS WX INFO BEFORE DEPARTING AT 1045 CST ON A FLT TO ODESSA, TX. WHILE EN ROUTE, HE UPDATED HIS DESTN WX AT 1239 CST & ELECTED TO DIVERT TO HOBBS, NM, WHEN HE LEARNED THE WX AT ODESSA WAS BELOW LANDING MINIMUMS. HOWEVER, HE ENCOUNTERED A HEADWIND & HIS FUEL WAS EXHAUSTED BEFORE REACHING HOBBS. SUBSEQUENTLY, DRG AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD, THE GEAR COLLAPSED ON SOFT/WET TERRAIN.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 2,375 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,009 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 22, 1988; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OK23 Sayre TX at 4:45 pm
- Destination: HOB Odessa TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 10 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 pm from HOB, 20 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.