Piper PA-38-112 accident near O'Neill, Nebraska, December 9, 2001
On December 9, 2001 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N2492K, was substantially damaged in an accident near O'Neill, 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 inadequate preflight planning by the pilot resulting in the exhaustion of the fuel supply, and the pilot not maintaining directional control during the forced landing. A factor was the unsuitable landing area selected by the pilot, and the ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 9, 2001 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- O'Neill, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N2492K · no longer on the register · serial 38-79A0665
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing on a narrow road following a loss of engine power. The pilot was attempting to land on a gravel road when the airplane went into a ditch. The pilot said that the engine began running rough and he switched tanks. He said that switching tanks, "...resulted in further trouble with engine performance." He said that he selected a road to land on and was landing to the south. He said that the landing was hard and the left main wheel, "...caught the edge of the roadside resulting in the plane being pulled down into the left ditch and over onto its nose." A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed only unusable fuel within the tanks. No other anomalies were found with respect to the airplane or its systems that could be associated with a pre-impact condition.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 92 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 34 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 16, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,966 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2001; 65 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MIC Minneapolis MN
- Destination: ONL O Neill NE
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 11:30 pm from ONL, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.