Piper PA-23-160 accident near Cresson, Texas, November 27, 1989
On November 27, 1989 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-160, registered N289RL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cresson, Texas (Bourland Field). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE STUDENT PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AND THE CFI'S INABILITY TO REGAIN CONTROL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE LACK OF BRAKES ON THE CFI'S SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 27, 1989 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Cresson, Texas · Bourland Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-160 · all PA-23-160s on the register
- Registration
- N289RL · registry record · serial 23-1548
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING USED FOR MULTIENGINE INSTRUCTION. THE INSTRUCTOR SAID THEY WERE MAKING A TOUCH AND GO LANDING. HE SAID THE LANDING WAS NORMAL AND THE STUDENT CLEANED UP THE AIRPLANE. THE STUDENT APPLIED FULL POWER FOR TAKEOFF AND THE AIRPLANE YAWED LEFT. THE STUDENT OVERCORRECTED AND THE AIRPLANE YAWED EXTREMELY TO THE RIGHT. THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AND ATTEMPTED TO GET DIRECTIONAL CONTROL BUT SAID THE RUDDER WAS NOT EFFECTIVE ENOUGH. THERE WERE NO BRAKES ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE. THE INSTRUCTOR SAID HE HAD REDUCED THE POWER TO IDLE. THE AIRPLANE LEFT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, STRUCK TREES AND A FENCE AND FENCE POST, AND CAME TO A STOP APPROXIMATELY 300 YARDS OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, IN A SHALLOW DEPRESSION. LATER THE PASSENGER IN THE REAR SEAT DID STATE THE INSTRUCTOR HAD REACHED FOR THE THROTTLES BUT ONLY CLOSED THE RIGHT ENGINE THROTTLE, AND THE LEFT ENGINE CEASED OPERATION AFTER IMPACT WITH A FENCE POST. NO PRE-IMPACT PROBLEMS COULD BE FOUND WITH THE AIRPLANE OR POWERPLANTS.
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; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,626 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 379 in the last 90 days; 109 in the last 30 days; 1,550 as pilot in command; 1,189 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,279 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 25, 1989; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bourland Field INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 4,150 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N289RL the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.