Piper PA-24-180 accident near Pasadena, Texas, March 22, 1991
On March 22, 1991 at about 4:25 am local time, a Piper PA-24-180, registered N888G, was destroyed in an accident near Pasadena, Texas (Ellington Field). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
POWER LOSS DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION RESULTANT FROM THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO REFUEL AT AN ALTERNATE DESTINATION AND THE INADVERTENT STALL. FACTORS WERE THE DARK NIGHT AND WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 22, 1991 · about 4:25 am local time
- Place
- Pasadena, Texas · Ellington Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-180 · all PA-24-180s on the register
- Registration
- N888G · registry record · serial 24-545
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION WHILE ON FINAL BETWEEN THE FAF AND THE THRESHOLD ON A SECOND ILS APPROACH IN NIGHT IMC AFTER A FLIGHT OF 5.1 HOURS. A MISSED APPROACH WAS EXECUTED ON THE FIRST WHEN THE PILOT DEVIATED BEYOND LIMITS BOTH IN ALTITUDE AND COURSE. THE PILOT HAD FLIGHT PLANNED 3:45 ETE AND INDICATED THAT HE HAD 6:00 HOURS OF FUEL ON BOARD. THE FUEL EXHAUSTION TIME CORRESPONDED WITH PERFORMANCE DATA PROVIDED IN THE AIRPLANE OWNER'S HANDBOOK. ALTHOUGH HE RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AND OBTAINED WEATHER EN ROUTE, THE PILOT DID NOT REQUEST WIND ALOFT INFORMATION. THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED 35 TO 40 KNOT HEAD WINDS THROUGHOUT THE TRIP AND ON 4 SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE CONTROLLERS ASKED THE PILOT IF HE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO REACH HIS DESTINATION. DURING THE FINAL LEG OF THE FLIGHT THE PILOT OVERFLEW AT LEAST 3 SUITABLE ALTERNATE AIRPORTS. FOLLOWING THE ENGINE FAILURE, THE PILOT ALLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO STALL AND IT SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED THE GROUND IN STEEP NOSE DOWN, LEFT WING LEADING ATTITUDE.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 510 hours in all; 37 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 469 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,792 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 23, 1990; 77 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Channel Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: LIT Little Rock AR at 11:23 pm
- Destination: HPY Baytown TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 am from EFD, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.