CEN22LA091

Factual narrative

On December 30, 2021, at 1550 central standard time, a Piper PA-28-235 airplane, N8591W, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Presidio Lely International Airport (PRS), Presidio, Texas. The pilot and 5 passengers were seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that the airplane had just departed from PRS and then impacted terrain about 600 yards northwest of the departure end of runway 35. The airplane came to rest upright and sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The non-certificated pilot fled the scene and was not available during the investigation. The passengers were transported to medical facilities for treatment and did not provide any information for the investigation. Postaccident examination and photos of the airplane revealed that the airplane impacted the ground with a high pitch attitude and came to rest about 50 yards from the initial impact point. The fuel selector valve was positioned to the left wing tip fuel tank, and the tank did not contain any fuel. The left main fuel tank was breached due to impact damage and did not contain any fuel. The right main fuel tank and tip tank were intact and did not contain any fuel. The elevator trim position was found slightly up from neutral. The propeller sustained damage during the accident sequence and the blades exhibited S-bending, forward curled tips, and chordwise abrasions. The examination did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Local law enforcement stated to the FAA inspector that the total weight of the occupants and baggage was about 1,153 lbs. One passenger was seated in the right front seat, three passengers were in the rear seats, and one passenger was occupying the aft baggage compartment. Local law enforcement also provided a fuel receipt to the FAA inspector that showed the airplane had been fueled with 42.23 gallons of fuel about 2 hours before the accident flight. The fuel was purchased by the pilot at Winkler County Airport (INK), Wink, Texas, which was about 142 nm north-northeast of PRS. The estimated takeoff weight of the airplane was between 2,642 lbs and 2,775 lbs, and the maximum gross weight of the airplane was 2,900 lbs. The estimated center of gravity was between +93.89 and +93.94 inches aft of datum, which was aft of the allowable limit of +93.5 inches aft of datum. The non-certificated pilot and 5 passengers intended to complete a personal flight. After takeoff, the airplane impacted the ground about 600 yards from the end of the runway. The airplane came to rest upright about 50 yards from the initial impact point. The pilot fled the scene and was not available during the investigation. The passengers were transported to medical facilities for treatment and did not provide any information for the investigation. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed signs that the engine was producing power at the time of impact. There was no evidence of fuel in any of the fuel tanks or on the ground near the airplane, but one fuel tank was breached at the leading edge during the accident sequence. The examination did not reveal any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Local law enforcement stated that the total weight of the occupants was about 1,153 lbs. A fuel receipt showed that the airplane had been fueled with 42.23 gallons of fuel about 2 hours before the accident flight, at another airport about 142 nautical miles (nm) away. Due to the damage to the airplane, the investigation was unable to determine the amount of fuel onboard at the time of the accident. The estimated takeoff weight of the airplane was between 2,642 lbs and 2,775 lbs, and the maximum gross weight of the airplane was 2,900 lbs. The estimated center of gravity was between +93.89 and +93.94 inches aft of datum, which was aft of the allowable limit of +93.5 inches aft of datum. It is likely that the pilot did not complete a preflight weight and balance calculation, which would have determined that the center of gravity would have been aft of the allowable limits. The aft center of gravity would have reduced the longitudinal stability during the climb out. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot
• — Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-Weight/balance calculations-Pilot
• — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Altitude-Not attained/maintained
• — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot