Piper PA-32-260 accident near Guymon, Oklahoma, February 16, 1991
On February 16, 1991, a Piper PA-32-260, registered N3549W, was destroyed in an accident near Guymon, Oklahoma (Guymon Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FUEL STARVATION FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS, AND THE PILOT'S DELAY IN FLARING THE AIRPLANE. A FACTOR WAS: THE PILOT'S TOTAL LACK OF EXPERIENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 16, 1991
- Place
- Guymon, Oklahoma · Guymon Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260 · all PA-32-260s on the register
- Registration
- N3549W · registry record · serial 32-436
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE 55 HOUR STUDENT PILOT PREFLIGHTED THE AIRPLANE AND NOTED FUEL IN BOTH TANKS, THE RIGHT TANK CONTAINING '15 TO 16 GALLONS.' HE TOOK OFF TO PRACTICE DOWNWIND LEG, THE ENGINE 'COUGHED' AND LOST POWER. THE PILOT SAID HE SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM THE RIGHT TANK TO THE LEFT TANK. THE ENGINE REGAINED POWER MOMENTARILY, THEN QUIT AGAIN. THE PILOT DID NOT RECALL THE IMPACT, BUT WITNESSES SAID THE AIRPLANE NOSED INTO THE GROUND. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION DISCLOSED 'A MEASURABLE AMOUNT OF FUEL' IN BOTH TANKS, BUT NO FUEL IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL OR 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
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 55 hours in all; 55 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-E4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,299 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N3549W the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN91LA045.