Piper PA-23-160 accident near Palestine, Texas, June 5, 1995
On June 5, 1995 at about 2:35 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-160, registered N4187P, was destroyed in an accident near Palestine, Texas (Palestine Municipal Arpt airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL DURING A GO-AROUND, DUE TO FAILURE OF THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) TO ASSURE THAT THE MINIMUM CONTROL SPEED (VMC) WAS MAINTAINED. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: SHUTDOWN OF THE LEFT ENGINE, WHICH WOULD HAVE PREVENTED NORMAL GEAR EXTENSION, AND POSSIBLE HABIT INTERFERENCE BY THE CFI (DUE TO THE NUMBER OF AIRCRAFT THAT HE HAD RECENTLY FLOWN).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 1995 · about 2:35 pm local time
- Place
- Palestine, Texas · Palestine Municipal Arpt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-160 · all PA-23-160s on the register
- Registration
- N4187P · no longer on the register · serial 23-1675
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PRIVATE PILOT STUDENT WAS RECEIVING DUAL INSTRUCTION IN PREPARATION FOR HIS MULTIENGINE CHECK RIDE. A WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE APPROACHING RUNWAY 17 FLYING 'A LOT SLOWER THAN THEY NORMALLY DO AND . . . A LOT LOWER THAN USUAL.' ANOTHER WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FLYING ON AN EASTERLY HEADING NEAR THE MIDPOINT OF THE RUNWAY; HE REPORTED THAT IT WAS 'NOT MUCH HIGHER THAN OUR HANGAR IS TALL.' HE NEXT OBSERVED THAT THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT PROPELLER WAS NOT TURNING AND THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO 'YAW TO THE LEFT AND ROLL TO THE LEFT.' THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND ABOUT 1,500 FEET EAST OF THE RUNWAY. THE LANDING GEAR ON THIS AIRPLANE WAS EXTENDED AND RETRACTED BY HYDRAULIC PRESSURE GENERATED FROM ONE HYDRAULIC PUMP MOUNTED ON THE LEFT ENGINE. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE LEFT ENGINE WAS SHUTDOWN, THE LEFT PROPELLER WAS FEATHERED, AND THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINES REVEALED NO ANOMALIES THAT COULD HAVE AFFECTED THEIR PERFORMANCE. THE 76-YEAR-OLD FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR HAD FLOWN 73 DIFFERENT MAKE/MODEL OF AIRPLANES IN THE LAST 4 YEARS.
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: 32,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,485 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 6, 1995
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B1B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PSN at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 4,007 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from TYR, 45 miles away
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.
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.