Piper PA-32-300 accident near Moberly, Missouri, September 11, 2023
On September 11, 2023, a 1971 Piper PA-32-300, registered N4219T, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Moberly, Missouri (Omar N Bradley Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s inadequate fuel management that resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power during an approach for landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 11, 2023
- Place
- Moberly, Missouri · Omar N Bradley Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300, built 1971 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N4219T · registry record · serial 32-7240037
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor stated that prior to beginning the instructional flight, he visually confirmed there was fuel in each fuel tank. He did not use a fuel dip stick when he checked the fuel level and approximated the fuel level as 17 gallons. He said the flight would have required 8 gallons of fuel. About 10 miles from the destination airport, with the fuel selector positioned to the right main fuel tank, the engine began to run rough. He then selected the right auxiliary fuel tank, and the engine began to run smoothly again. About 4 miles from the destination airport and during the approach for landing, the engine began to run rough again. He then selected the left auxiliary fuel tank, but engine power was not restored. With the engine at idle power, he tried to restore engine power by cycling through the remaining fuel tanks but was unsuccessful. He then performed a forced landing to a field, during which the engine ceased to operate. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no leaks with the fuel system and no useable fuel was found in the left and right main fuel tanks. The flight instructor stated that after the accident, he checked the left auxiliary/tip tank and there was 7 gallon of fuel present. The examination revealed no failures or malfunctions with the airframe and engine that would have precluded normal airplane operation.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Loss of engine power (partial) during approach
- Attempted remediation/recovery during approach
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
- Fuel starvation during approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 717 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 218 in the last 90 days; 64 in the last 30 days; 581 as pilot in command; 388 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 27, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: COU Columbia MO at 1:29 am
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from MBY, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on March 21, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 - Flight Instructor | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Statement - Flight Instructor | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation - Flight Instructor | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Conversation Follow Up - Flight Instructor | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Record of Conversation - Federal Aviation Administration Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Aircraft Track Log of Accident Flight | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N4219T the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.