Piper PA 34 accident near Denton, Texas, December 7, 2016
On December 7, 2016 at about 5:45 pm local time, a 1972 Piper PA 34, registered N2844T, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Denton, Texas (Denton Enterprise airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s decision to continue to taxi the airplane to the parking area with a known brake malfunction, which resulted in a loss of directional control and subsequent impact with a parked airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 7, 2016 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Denton, Texas · Denton Enterprise · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 34 200, built 1972 · all PA 34s on the register
- Registration
- N2844T · no longer on the register · serial 34-7250174
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the flight instructor in the multiengine airplane, he occupied the right seat during the instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that, during the landing roll, the brakes on his side were inoperative, but the brakes used by the pilot under instruction appeared to function normally. The flight instructor allowed the pilot under instruction to taxi to parking. During the right turn in the parking area, the pilot under instruction was told to apply both brakes, and the airplane started to "pull left." The flight instructor attempted to use differential thrust to arrest the left pull by increasing the right engine speed, but the attempt had no effect. The flight instructor shut down both engines; however, the left wing struck a parked airplane and came to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The flight instructor reported that the accident could have been prevented if he had stopped on the taxiway and not entered the parking ramp. A postaccident examination of the brake assembly revealed that the right brake actuator piston "o" ring had failed, which decreased hydraulic brake pressure and prevented proper brake function of the airplane.
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 control on ground during taxi (from runway) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during taxi (from runway)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Failure
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Aircraft › Effect on operation
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 657.4 hours in all; 248.5 in this make and model; 204.1 in the last 90 days; 51.2 in the last 30 days; 585 as pilot in command; 412.3 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 26, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 227.8 hours in all; 13.1 in this make and model; 13.1 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 124.6 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 22, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,733.6 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 17, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-360-CEI6 (piston); 4,963 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming LIO-360 (piston); 7,881 hours total
- Operator: U S Aviation Group LLC
The flight
- Departed from: KDTO Denton TX
- Destination: KDTO Denton TX
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 36, 7,002 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from DTO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 21, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Brake Examination | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.