Piper PA-28-161 accident near Grain Valley, Missouri, July 15, 2022
On July 15, 2022 at about 7:45 am local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N2945Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Grain Valley, Missouri. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 2022 · about 7:45 am local time
- Place
- Grain Valley, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N2945Q · registry record · serial 28-7716128
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Law enforcement reported the airplane overflew a tractor-trailer, landed on the interstate roadway, and impacted a guardrail. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The student pilot reported to law enforcement that the airplane ran out of fuel. While on-scene at the accident location, the pilot was arrested for driving while intoxicated and operating an aircraft while intoxicated. The pilot refused to provide a statement of the accident.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Alcohol › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 290 hours in all; 235 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,115 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2022
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JFX Jasper AL at 3:10 am
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 180° at 12 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from KLXT, 9 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KLXT 150753Z AUTO 18012G22KT 10SM CLR 28/16 A3002 RMK AO2 SLP153 T02830161
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 26, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Excerpt of Missouri State Highway Patrol Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photograph | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.