Piper PA-28-140 accident near Sulphur, Oklahoma, January 23, 1997
On January 23, 1997 at about 11:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N15754, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sulphur, Oklahoma. It was an instructional 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 loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and the pilot's improper use of the fuel tank selector. Factors were the pilot's failure to follow the checklist and 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
- January 23, 1997 · about 11:40 pm local time
- Place
- Sulphur, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N15754 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7325153
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to law enforcement personnel that responded to the accident, the pilot stated that he had flown to the Sulphur Municipal Airport to practice a landing and a takeoff prior to returning to Davis, where the pilot anticipated a crosswind landing. The pilot reported that the airplane was on initial takeoff climb from runway 17, at an estimated altitude of 400 to 500 feet AGL, when the engine 'coughed a couple of times and quit.' The pilot further stated that he switched the fuel selector to the left tank, but he was unable to restore engine power. The airplane landed in a confined field approximately one mile west of the airport. Examination of the wreckage by the FAA inspector revealed that the carburetor bowl and the right wing fuel tank were empty, while the left fuel tank contained 18 to 20 gallons of fuel. The airplane's checklist called for the fuel selector to be in the fullest tank prior to takeoff.
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: 44 hours in all; 34 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,040 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 10, 1996; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F30 at 10:37 pm
- Destination: 97F Davis OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:47 pm from ADM
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.