Piper PA28-151 accident near Purcell, Oklahoma, July 31, 2009
On July 31, 2009 at about 1:30 am local time, a Piper PA28-151, registered N41930, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Purcell, Oklahoma. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to see and avoid the power lines.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2009 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Purcell, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28-151 · all PA28-151s on the register
- Registration
- N41930 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7415361
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot stated that he had practiced a simulated loss of engine power to a field near the Canadian River. After finishing the practice approach, witnesses observed the airplane flying north to south about 30 feet above the river. They observed the airplane climb and fly over the East Washington Street Bridge, which spans the river between Purcell, Oklahoma and Lexington, Oklahoma. The airplane then descended back down into the river bottom, hit power lines that crossed over the river, and then came to rest in the river about one mile south of the bridge. Portions of the horizontal stabilizer and the wing had separated from the fuselage. The pilot was seriously injured. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies.
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
- Simulated/training event during maneuvering
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other aircraft › Student pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 7 hours in all; 7 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1K4 Goldsby OK
- Destination: 1K4 Goldsby OK
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.