Piper PA-28-140 accident near Hondo, Texas, June 19, 1993
On June 19, 1993 at about 9:58 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N6695W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hondo, Texas (Decker Ranch airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER EVALUATION OF THE WEATHER WHICH LED TO THE DOWNWIND TAKEOFF. FACTORS WERE THE WINDSHIFT AND THE TAILWIND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 1993 · about 9:58 pm local time
- Place
- Hondo, Texas · Decker Ranch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N6695W · registry record · serial 28-20804
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT THE WIND SHIFTED TO A TAIL WIND AFTER HE BOARDED THE AIRPLANE FOR TAKEOFF. HE STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE LIFTED OFF ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF THE WAY DOWN THE 2,000 FOOT GRASS STRIP AND THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT CLIMB. HE ELECTED TO ABORT AND THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY RAN OFF THE END OFF THE RUNWAY INTO A PLOWED FIELD AND NOSED OVER. NUMEROUS ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN THE AREA AT THE TIME.
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: 600 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 2, 1992; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 2,000 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 9:58 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW93LA194.