Piper PA-25-235 accident near Moriarity, New Mexico, July 27, 1996
On July 27, 1996 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-25-235, registered N7469Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Moriarity, New Mexico. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's failure to refuel. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain available 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
- July 27, 1996 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Moriarity, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-235 · all PA-25-235s on the register
- Registration
- N7469Z · no longer on the register · serial 25-3471
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane took off from runway 26 on the fifth glider tow of the day. While climbing through 400 feet AGL, the engine lost power and the pilot executed a forced landing to a pasture. During touchdown, the airplane crossed a dirt road and the left main gear collapsed. The pilot stated that he performed a detailed preflight of the airplane prior to the first tow of the day, and found that the aircraft was serviced with 20 gallons of fuel. He further stated that 20 gallons is normally sufficient for 6 or 7 tows, but on the day of the accident the tows were 'exceptionally long due to the general subsidence of the air mass along with high density altitude.' Examination of the fuel system revealed that both fuel cells were empty.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,222 hours in all; 272 in this make and model; 64 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 4,171 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,918 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 28, 1996; 124 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-G1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OEO at 8:57 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 235° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.