Piper PA-28R-201 accident near Devine, Texas, March 18, 1995
On March 18, 1995 at about 4:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-201, registered N47839, was substantially damaged in an accident near Devine, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A POWER LOSS DUE TO THE INADVERTENT OPENING OF AN UNAPPROVED QUICK OIL DRAIN INSTALLED BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL. A FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE FORCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 18, 1995 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Devine, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-201 · all PA-28R-201s on the register
- Registration
- N47839 · registry record · serial 7837006
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ENGINE OIL ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED 10 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT FOLLOWING AN ENGINE INSTALLATION AND COMPLETION OF AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED TO ZERO AFTER THE ENGINE OIL DRAINED FROM AN UNAPPROVED QUICK DRAIN PLUG WHICH WAS INSTALLED ON THE ENGINE OIL PAN BY THE MECHANIC. THIS RESULTED IN A TOTAL POWER LOSS. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR DRAG LINK MADE CONTACT WITH THE QUICK OIL DRAIN DURING THE GEAR RETRACTION CYCLE RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF OIL. WHILE ATTEMPTING A FORCED LANDING IN A SOFT FRESHLY PLOWED FIELD, THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.
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
What happened, in order
- LOSS OF ENGINE POWER(TOTAL) - NONMECHANICAL during cruise
- FORCED LANDING during emergency descent/landing
- ON GROUND/WATER ENCOUNTER WITH TERRAIN/WATER during emergency landing
Pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, none, APLN, none
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 6,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 2
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,700 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, March 17, 1995; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C16 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: PEZ Pleasanton TX at 4:30 pm
- Destination: 23R
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°C, dew point 0°C
- Altimeter: 30 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N47839 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 FTW95LA139.