Piper PA-28-161 accident near Austin, Texas, January 25, 1990
On January 25, 1990 at about 8:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N30057, was substantially damaged in an accident near Austin, Texas (Austin Exec Airpark airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE ROCKER ARM IN THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 25, 1990 · about 8:50 pm local time
- Place
- Austin, Texas · Austin Exec Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N30057 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7916074
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NEWLY CERTIFICATED PILOT WAS RECEIVING DUAL INSTRUCTION TO IMPROVE HIS LANDING TECHNIQUE. HE STATED THAT HE HAD OVERSHOT HIS TURN TO FINAL AND WAS LOW ON THE APPROACH, WHEN HE APPLIED POWER AND NOTICED THE ENGINE HAD FAILED. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT THEY WERE APPROXIMATELY ONE HALF TO ONE THIRD MILE FROM THE RUNWAY AND AT APPROXIMATELY 200 TO 300 FEET AGL AT THIS POINT. THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND DIVERTED THE GLIDE INTO TREES TO AVOID TEN FOOT TALL POWER LINES ACROSS HIS APPROACH PATH. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING IMPACT WITH TREES AND TERRAIN. A TEARDOWN INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP ROCKER ARM HAD FAILED AT THE PIVOT POINT. THIS COMPONENT HAD 8,557 HOURS TOTAL TIME AND 1,367 HOURS SINCE ENGINE OVERHAUL.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,845 hours in all; 46 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days; 5,508 as pilot in command; 2,843 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,558 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 15, 1989; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3R3 Austin TX at 8:45 pm
- Destination: 3R3
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 5,000 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.