No fatalities

Witnesses Report Airplane Buzzing Homes Before Crash

Lockhart, TX, United States

On March 7, 2011, a PIPER PA-22-108 was involved in an aviation accident near Lockhart, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

An airplane matching the accident aircraft's description was seen buzzing homes. Later found inverted west of airport after impacting trees. No mechanical anomalies discovered; pilot contact unsuccessful.

Incident Overview

Local law enforcement reported that several witnesses observed an airplane, matching the description of the accident airplane, buzzing homes and automobiles on the afternoon of the accident. Later, the airplane accident site was discovered just west of the airport property. The airplane had impacted trees and came to rest inverted.

Aircraft Damage

The empennage was bent and twisted 180 degrees beneath the fuselage and wings. An examination of the airplane and its systems revealed no mechanical anomalies.

Pilot Contact

Attempts to contact the pilot were unsuccessful.

Contributing factors

Pilot