Piper PA-32R-300 accident near Wichita Falls, Texas, August 26, 1995
On August 26, 1995 at about 7:25 pm local time, a Piper PA-32R-300, registered N9296K, was destroyed in an accident near Wichita Falls, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while diverting attention to an open cargo door. A factor was the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 26, 1995 · about 7:25 pm local time
- Place
- Wichita Falls, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-300 · all PA-32R-300s on the register
- Registration
- N9296K · no longer on the register · serial 76-80206
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after liftoff, the airplane's forward baggage door came open and '...stood straight up and vibrated vigorously.' The pilot elected to continue the takeoff. Witnesses observed the airplane in a steep climb attitude, with the wings 'dipping' from side to side, in a shallow left turn, at an altitude of approximately 50 feet. Approximately 1 mile south of the airport, the airplane collided with a light pole, impacted the ground in a vertical attitude and came to rest inverted. The pilot reported that during the preflight he had taken a quart of oil from the forward baggage compartment to replenish the engine oil. During an interview, the pilot stated that he placed the empty oil container in the baggage compartment, shut the door, but did not lock it. In his written statement, the pilot reported that he locked the door. A postcrash fire consumed the fuselage and precluded examination of the baggage compartment and door.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,290 hours in all; 489 in this make and model; 71 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 1,199 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 18, 1995
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: T47 at 7:24 pm
- Destination: TDW Amarillo TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.