Piper PA-24-250 accident near Kearney, Nebraska, August 12, 2022
On August 12, 2022 at about 8:57 pm local time, a 1958 Piper PA-24-250, registered N5253P, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Kearney, Nebraska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate in-flight planning that resulted in a 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
- August 12, 2022 · about 8:57 pm local time
- Place
- Kearney, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250, built 1958 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N5253P · registry record · serial 24-285
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while on a short cross-country flight and near his destination airport, the airplane’s engine lost power. The pilot subsequently performed a wheels-up landing on a gravel road. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right side of the fuselage. A postaccident inspection of the airplane at the accident site revealed that both wing fuel tanks were empty. No other preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions were found with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion.
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 enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 687 hours in all; 119 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: June 12, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,303 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 14, 2021
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 3,303 hours total
- Operator: Whitten Ranch INC
The flight
- Departed from: CZD Cozad NE at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from KEAR, 4 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KEAR 122056Z AUTO 19013KT 10SM 34/17 A3005 RMK AO2 SLP155 T03390172
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 October 13, 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 | Memorandum for the Record Pilot Statement Summary CEN22LA384 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for the Record on Scene Information CEN22LA384 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Array CEN22LA384 | 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.