Lombardo covers business aviation maintenance-related issues. He is also a writer and on-air reporter for AINtv. He has over 3000 articles published and is the author of several books on aircraft systems for pilots and on the topic of flight simulation.
He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in education from the University of Illinois, has taught aviation for over 35 years in industry and as a university professor and academic dean at three different universities. He is also a frequent seminar and after-dinner motivational speaker.&nbsp;
Lombardo holds an A&amp;P Certificate, ATP, CFI and Ground Instructor ratings. He was a corporate pilot and was a research pilot and flight instructor at the University of Illinois. An FAA Safety Counselor for over 25 years, he was one of the original 13 Counselors appointed to the FAA’s Airworthiness Safety Program for maintenance technicians.&nbsp;

Contributor

David A. Lombardo

PIPER PA-31T1, GRAHAM, TEXAS, Nov. 12, 2001–At 11:24 p.m. CST Piper N6134A was destroyed when it crashed into terrain during an approach to the Graham Municipal Airport (E15). The turboprop twin was registered to Cage Acquisitions, a local company, and was being flown by an instrument-rated private pilot. The pilot and all three passengers were killed in the accident. IMC being flown prevailed at the airport and there was no flight plan on file for the Part 91 business flight, which originated from Wharton Regional Airport (5R5), Texas, at 9:44 p.m.
According to ATC transcripts, the aircraft originally departed from Graham at 11:23 a.m. and flew to Wharton on an IFR flight plan. N6134A then departed Wharton and flew to Odessa, Texas, where the pilot contacted San Angelo (SGT) AFSS at 5:03 p.m. He requested an IFR weather briefing for a return flight from Odessa to Wharton at an estimated departure time of 6 p.m. The pilot was informed of the weather en route, including a trough of low pressure over west Texas that was moving south from the northwest. 
At 7:17 p.m. the pilot was still on the ground at Odessa due to late arriving passengers and he again contacted the AFSS and requested an updated weather briefing. He was advised about the conditions en route, including weather at the Brazoria County Airport (LBX), 36 miles southeast of Wharton, which was reporting visibility of five miles in mist and a one-degree temperature/dew point spread. The flight finally departed for Wharton at 7:30 p.m.
At approximately 8:28 p.m. Houston Center requested that the flight verify altitude, and the pilot replied that they were at 18,000 feet, “but we’ve got a problem with our autopilot–it just went off for some reason.” Four minutes later the pilot reported to center that the problem had been corrected and no further anomalies were reported by the pilot or observed by ATC. The flight arrived and departed from Wharton without incident for the final leg to Graham.
En route to Graham, the pilot contacted Houston Center and requested VFR flight following. At 10:20 p.m. the pilot was instructed to contact the Fort Worth Center, and 13 minutes later the pilot requested and was approved to begin a slow descent into E15. Radar data confirms the airplane executed a steady descent and flew a straight-line course toward the airport down to 3,000 feet. Radar returns from N6134A ended as expected below 3,000 feet and eight miles southeast of the Graham Municipal Airport due to radar-coverage limitations.
At 10:59 p.m. the pilot reported to Fort Worth Center that he was two miles from Graham and canceled VFR flight following. No further communications or distress calls were received from the pilot. The pilot did not request or receive updated weather from the Houston or Fort Worth Center controllers during the flight. Data confirms that the pilot’s duty day exceeded 12 hours.
The next day concerned family members notified law enforcement that the airplane had not arrived at Graham Municipal Airport. A search was initiated and more than two days later on November 15 at 3 p.m. a search helicopter located the wreckage 12 miles northeast of the airport.
According to the NTSB, the 66-year-old private pilot held airplane single and multi-engine land ratings and an instrument rating; he held an FAA third-class medical certificate dated Dec. 2, 1999. The only medical limitation was corrective lenses. His total time was listed as 4,849 hours. According to a friend of the pilot, the pilot had previously flown other models of the PA-31 and was employed by Cage Acquisitions to fly the accident airplane. 
According to copies of maintenance logbook entries provided by Abilene Aero, between Oct. 26 and Nov. 9, 2001, the airplane underwent maintenance. A Garmin GNS 430 unit was installed, the ADF was replaced, the number-two VOR was repaired, the roll servo for the autopilot was replaced, the Rnav was repaired and the DME was relocated in the cockpit. Additionally, a new right main outboard fuel cell and a right main fuel quantity transmitter were installed. At the time that the maintenance was performed, the airframe had accumulated a total of 3,267 hours.
At 10:41 p.m. the weather observation facility at Mineral Wells, Texas, issued a special weather report advising of clouds at 600 feet scattered, 1,200 feet and 7,000 feet broken, temperature 59 degrees F, dew point 57 degrees F and altimeter 30.20. By 11:19 p.m. the ceiling was 400 feet overcast, wind 150 degrees at nine knots, visibility three miles in mist, temperature 59 degrees F, dew point 57 degrees F and altimeter 30.20. Two witnesses who lived in the vicinity of the accident site reported that between 11 and 11:30 p.m. they saw dense fog.
A friend of the pilot reported that the pilot had been practicing using the airplane’s new Garmin 430 GPS/navcom on a home computer; however, this would have been the pilot’s second flight using the unit. The software, including CD-ROM, that the pilot was using to practice was forwarded to the NTSB; however, there was no information that assisted investigators in determining which approaches or navigation was practiced by the pilot.

News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports.

Factual Report: Cheyanne crashes on IMC

PIPER PA-31T1, GRAHAM, TEXAS, Nov.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Amy Wilder

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Pilot died of cardiac arrest during the flight

NTSB: Pax Safely Lands King Air after Pilot Collapsed

Vehicle also struck parked ground-support tractor; there were no injuries

Teen Driver Breaches Fence, Hits PlaneSense PC-12 at KPSM

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

Six fatal accidents resulted in 22 fatalities in the quarter

NBAA Report Flags Powerplant, Collision Risks in Q2 Data

Curt Epstein

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Twenty years ago, a business jet and commerical airliner collided; the smaller airplane survived

Remembering a Solemn Anniversary: the Amazon Midair 

David Jack Kenny

Preliminary and final accident reports, September 2026

Business Aircraft Accident Reports: September 2026

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

More In Accidents

NTSB: Pax Safely Lands King Air after Pilot Collapsed

Pilot died of cardiac arrest during the flight

Teen Driver Breaches Fence, Hits PlaneSense PC-12 at KPSM

Vehicle also struck parked ground-support tractor; there were no injuries

NBAA Report Flags Powerplant, Collision Risks in Q2 Data

Six fatal accidents resulted in 22 fatalities in the quarter

Remembering a Solemn Anniversary: the Amazon Midair

Twenty years ago, a business jet and commerical airliner collided; the smaller airplane survived

Business Aircraft Accident Reports: September 2026

Preliminary and final accident reports, September 2026

NTSB Cites Heliport Misidentification in Aug. 2025 Crash

Captain opted out of instrument approach over autopilot concerns

Fire of Unknown Origin Led to 2024 Citation X Accident

NTSB: Ignition source could not be conclusively identified

NTSB: Bell 206L Damage Caused by Aeroelastic Interaction

Helicopter experienced a vertical hop for which the pilot didn’t know the recovery procedure

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN