Piper PA-28-180 N317HM accident near Corpus Christi, Texas

Preliminary information

On April 13, 2026, about 19:19 central daylight time, a Piper Cherokee PA-28-180 airplane, N317HM was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Corpus Christi, Texas. The flight instructor and student pilot were seriously injured. The airplane was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight.

ADS-B data revealed that the airplane departed Corpus Christi International Airport (CRP), Corpus Christi, Texas, about 1850. According to first responders, the flight instructor and student pilot said that they were practicing touch and go takeoffs and landings at CRP when they had an engine issue on short final for runway 13. The flight instructor said that he took over flying the airplane when he realized they were having an engine issue. The airplane struck power lines and impacted a service road about .5 nm northwest of runway 13. A postimpact fire ensued.

According to the owner of the flight school, the student pilot was transitioning from flying a Cessna 172 to a Piper Cherokee. The flight school owner also said that according to fuel records, they filled the airplane with 14 gallons of fuel before the flight for a total of 36 gallons. The airplane had a 100-hour inspection on April 1, 2026, and accumulated about 23 flight hours since the inspection. In the previous three months, the right magneto and right magneto p-lead were replaced as well as the starter ring gear.

The airplane was retained for further examination.

Text from the NTSB; a preliminary report can change and names no cause. Open the NTSB docket for CEN26LA164 for the full record.