Piper PA-23-250 accident near Bixby, Oklahoma, November 23, 2005
On November 23, 2005 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N859DA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bixby, Oklahoma (Richard Lloyd Jones JR airport). It was a personal 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 loss of engine power due to water contamination and corrosion in both gascolators due to improper maintenance. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 23, 2005 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bixby, Oklahoma · Richard Lloyd Jones JR · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N859DA · no longer on the register · serial 27-7305198
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After a detailed preflight inspection and a 15-minute run up, the 1,684-hour commercial pilot and a pilot-rated passenger, who had recently purchased the twin-engine airplane, departed on a 385-nautical mile cross-country flight to ferry the airplane to it's new home base. About 25 minutes into the flight, while in cruise flight at 2,500 feet, the left engine lost power. The pilot elected not to secure the left engine as he felt that the engine was producing some power; however, he elected to return to the departure airport. En-route back to the airport, the right engine also experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot was unable maintain altitude and selected a nearby hay field to execute a forced landing. The pilot was able to clear some powerlines short of his intended forced landing area, and made a normal landing on the hay field. During the landing roll on the hay field, the airplane impacted a 2-foot berm/terrace in the field, collapsing the nose landing gear assembly. Examination of the airplane revealed that fuel was present in the fuel tanks; however, water and corrosion were found in both left and right side gascolators.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,684 hours in all; 100 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Last flight review: February 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,035.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RVS Tulsa OK at 5:35 pm
- Destination: 1R7 Brookhaven MS
- Flight plan: VFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 1:22 pm from RVS, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.