Piper PA-34-200T accident near Wichita Falls, Texas, January 13, 1996
On January 13, 1996 at about 5:53 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-200T, registered N8894E, was destroyed in an accident near Wichita Falls, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadvertent stall by the pilot in command. Factors were the impeded airplane takeoff performance, the rudder trim not corrected by the pilot, and the pilot's failure to comply with the checklist.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 13, 1996 · about 5:53 pm local time
- Place
- Wichita Falls, Texas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200T · all PA-34-200Ts on the register
- Registration
- N8894E · no longer on the register · serial 34-7670186
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Following takeoff, the pilot reported to the tower that he needed to return to land due to the loss of power to the right engine. The airplane was observed by witnesses to be in a pronounced right yaw/out of trim attitude as soon as the airplane became airborne. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the rudder trim was in the 50% nose right position. The pilot had made a precautionary landing at that airport the night before due to a reported partial loss of power on the left engine. Maintenance personnel found and repaired the source of the power loss. The pilot told the mechanics that both engines were beyond TBO and he was concerned about the reliability of the engines. Teardown and examination of both engines and turbochargers did not reveal any anomalies that would have prevented normal engine operation.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 885 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,939 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 10, 1995; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,570 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SPS at 5:52 pm
- Destination: LBB Lubbock TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:00 pm from SPS, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| 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.