Piper PA-38-112 accident near Grand Prairie, Texas, March 8, 1990
On March 8, 1990 at about 1:22 pm local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N2456P, was destroyed in an accident near Grand Prairie, Texas (Municipal airport). It was an instructional 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 CFI PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN FLYING SPEED, AND THE RESULTANT INADVERTENT STALL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE EXISTING LOW CEILING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 8, 1990 · about 1:22 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Prairie, Texas · Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N2456P · registry record · serial 38-79A1030
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE SCHEDULED AIRPLANE HAD A DEAD BATTERY AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOOK AN AIRPLANE THAT WAS NOT SCHEDULED TO BE DISPATCHED DUE TO LACK OF A TRANSPONDER, A MICROPHONE AND RADIOS. APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, MANY WITNESSES SAW THE AIRPLANE COMING OUT OF THE CLOUDS, FROM THE SOUTH-SOUTHEAST, SAW IT CROSS OVER THE AIRPORT, AND THEN TURN NORTH. WHEN IT WAS NORTH OF THE AIRPORT, IT STARTED A SHARP RIGHT TURN, THE NOSE PITCHED DOWN, AND THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW. IT IMPACTED ALMOST STRAIGHT DOWN. A LOCAL WEATHER OBSERVATION BY A LOCAL FLIGHT OPERATION INDICATED 400 FEET OVERCAST CEILING AND VISIBILITY OF 2 MILES.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 100 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,950 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 28, 1990; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Grand Prairie Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: F67 at 1:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:00 pm from NBE, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.