Piper PA-24-250 accident near Bethany, Missouri, August 4, 2026
On August 4, 2026 at about 11:39 pm local time, a 1964 Piper PA-24-250, registered N8422P, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Bethany, Missouri. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 2026 · about 11:39 pm local time · cases in 2026
- Place
- Bethany, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250, built 1964 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N8422P · registry record · serial 24-3672
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 4, 2026, about 1839 central daylight time, a Piper PA-24-250 airplane, N8422P, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Bethany, Missouri. The pilot received fatal injuries. The airplane was operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations as a Part 91 flight. The pilot, who was also the airplane owner, departed on a personal flight under visual flight rules from Peoria International Airport Peoria, Illinois, to Rapid City Regional Airport, Rapid City, South Dakota. Preliminary radar data showed that the flight climbed to an initial cruise altitude of about 13,000 ft msl after departure and operated at an altitude about 12,500 ft msl for about 90 minutes. The cruise altitude increased above 18,000 ft msl and into Class A airspace during the flight, which operated without air traffic control clearance or services. A review of weather data showed the flight entered convective activity after which it descended and impacted terrain. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that it was not equipped with an installed breathable or a portable breathable oxygen system. The postaccident examination revealed no mechanical anomalies 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
- Other weather encounter during enroute
- Loss of control in flight during enroute defining event
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PIA Peoria IL at 9:39 pm
- Destination: RAP Rapid City SD
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 10 knots
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from LWD, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N8422P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N8422P on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-24 Comanche 2,428 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,842 aircraft on the register
- General Downing - Peoria International · departed from
- Rapid City Regional · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Missouri 1,640 since 1982 · 219 in the last ten years
- Missouri 5,817 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N8422P 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN26FA280.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.