Piper PA-24-250 accident near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, August 13, 2023
On August 13, 2023 at about 5:50 pm local time, a 1962 Piper PA-24-250, registered N7910P, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Wiley Post Airport). 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 pilot’s mismanagement of fuel, which resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 2023 · about 5:50 pm local time
- Place
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma · Wiley Post Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250, built 1962 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N7910P · registry record · serial 24-3141
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was in cruise flight nearing the destination airport when the engine sustained a total loss of engine power. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted power lines and a grassy slope on the left side of a highway. The left main fuel cell and left auxiliary fuel cell on the left wing were breached and could not be functionally tested. The right main fuel cell did not contain any fuel and the right auxiliary fuel cell was full of fuel. The fuel selector valve was set to the right main fuel cell. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not detect any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. After the accident, the pilot shared with a friend that he received a low fuel warning light while operating on the right main fuel cell. The pilot switched to the left main fuel cell; however, engine power did not return so he switched back to the right main fuel cell. Investigators were unable to ascertain what additional steps the pilot may have taken to restore engine power after initially switching to the left main fuel cell. The loss of engine power was likely due to fuel starvation as there was adequate fuel remaining in the right auxiliary fuel cell.
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 starvation during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,213.5 hours in all; 1,879.3 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 2,084.6 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 22, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,002 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 20, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1B5 (piston); 6,823 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GYI Sherman TX at 5:04 pm
- Destination: PWA Oklahoma City OK
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from KPWA, 8 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KPWA 131753Z 21011KT 10SM CLR 32/22 A2993
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
17 documents, released by the NTSB on September 26, 2024. 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 | Photos | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Wreckage Exam Summary | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Pilot Logbook | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Memorandum of Record - Witness Interview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Memorandum of Record -number 1- Mrs. Stanford | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Memorandum of RECORD-NUMBER2-MRS. Stanford | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Memorandum of Record-luke Stanford | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Memorandum of Record - 6120 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Fuel Receipt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | ADS-B Data 1 | spreadsheet | Download |
| 12 | ADS-B Data 2 | spreadsheet | Download |
| 13 | ADS-B Data 3 | spreadsheet | Download |
| 14 | Electronic Devices - Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 15 | Lycoming Party Form | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 16 | Piper Party Form | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 17 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 2 pages | 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.