Piper PA-31-350 accident near Houston, Texas, April 28, 1992
On April 28, 1992 at about 3:00 am local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N140RD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Houston, Texas (William P. Hobby airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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 HYDRAULIC SYSTEM SEAL AND THE SUBSEQUENT FLUID LEAK.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 1992 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · William P. Hobby
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N140RD · registry record · serial 31-7552051
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE TOWER A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRPLANE'S LANDING GEAR SYSTEM. A FLYOVER WAS PERFORMED AND A GEAR PROBLEM CONFIRMED. THE PILOT WAS CLEARED TO FLY AROUND THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. UPON TOUCHDOWN ON RUNWAY 04, THE NOSE AND RIGHT LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM WAS FOUND DEPLETED OF FLUID AND THE SEAL FOR THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENTION HAND PUMP WAS FOUND TO BE THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK.
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 single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,800 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 1,700 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 30, 1991; 85 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AMA Amarillo TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 4, 7,602 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.