Piper PA-22-160 accident near Osage, Arkansas, October 26, 2022
On October 26, 2022 at about 8:27 pm local time, a 1957 Piper PA-22-160, registered N8457D, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Osage, Arkansas (Field). 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
A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 26, 2022 · about 8:27 pm local time
- Place
- Osage, Arkansas · Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-160, built 1957 · all PA-22-160s on the register
- Registration
- N8457D · registry record · serial 22-5713
- 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 he conducted a preflight inspection and filled both of the airplane’s fuel tanks. While enroute, the airplane’s engine lost power. The pilot switched fuel tanks but was unable to restore power. The pilot then conducted a forced landing to a rough field, during which the airplane impacted a hay bale. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks contained no usable fuel. No other postaccident malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations were found. Immediately following the accident, the pilot stated that he ran out of fuel. The pilot wrote on NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1 that it was possible either or both fuel tanks were not completely full “due to difficulty with the ladder and fuel pump.”
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
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,721 hours in all; 1,093 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 2,687 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 24, 2021
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,020 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 3, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320-B2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sbsb, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: KFSM Fort Smith AR at 7:21 pm
- Destination: KHRO Harrison AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 3004.00 inHg
Weather report (METAR): METAR KHRO 261953Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 18/02 A3009 RMK AO2 SLP187 T01780017=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on December 28, 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Amended Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 4 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.