Piper PA-28-181 accident near Springfield, Missouri, July 17, 1998
On July 17, 1998 at about 2:00 am local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N2953Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Springfield, Missouri. 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 pilot in command's inadequate preflight planning/preparation and inaccurate fuel consumption calculations that caused the aircraft's fuel supply to be exceeded. Factors to the accident were the dark light condition and the rough/uneven terrain condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 1998 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Springfield, Missouri
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N2953Y · no longer on the register · serial 28-7990584
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that while he was in contact with approach control, the engine quit suddenly, he switched tanks, and the engine restarted without hesitation. The pilot notified approach control of his fuel situation and approach control communicated to the pilot that he was flying directly over the airport. The pilot stated that he still did not have visual contact with the airport. The engine quit, for the second time, and the pilot executed a forced landing into a field. The pilot stated that he used 3 notches of flaps, tried to keep the wings level, and was aware of some trees that were at the beginning of the field he had selected. The aircraft came to rest on some railroad tracks. Post accident investigation showed that the pilot had been flying for at least 4 hours and 4 minutes at the time of the first engine failure. The fuel tanks were drained, with 1.5 pints of fuel being drained from each wing tank. There was no evidence of a fuel spill at the accident site and the fuel tanks were not compromised during the forced landing. There were no other anomalies found with the aircraft, flight controls, or engine.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 217 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 57 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 172 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,852 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 6, 1998; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3R3 Austin TX at 10:08 pm
- Destination: 3DW Springfield MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:10 am from SGF, 7 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.