Piper PA-38-112 accident near Boswell, Oklahoma, January 30, 1997
On January 30, 1997 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N2493A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Boswell, Oklahoma. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's improper inflight planning and decision, after becoming lost/disoriented, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, before landing in a suitable landing area. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot of another aircraft did not accurately identify the lost airplane before providing directions, and the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing, once the engine lost power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 30, 1997 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Boswell, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N2493A · no longer on the register · serial 38-78A0713
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the student pilot and the operator of the airplane, the student was on a solo cross country flight from Rockwall, Texas, to Bonham, Texas, with an intermediate stop in Paris, Texas. During the flight from Rockwall to Paris, the student did not locate his destination airport. After trying to find the airport for approximately 20 minutes, he continued on toward Bonham, which was approximately 37 nautical miles from Paris. The student became disoriented and attempted to contact both Fort Worth and McAlester Flight Service Stations without success. Other pilots in the area heard the student's calls and attempted to help. A pilot, who thought he saw the student's airplane (but might have seen another airplane), informed the student that Bonham was north of his position. The student flew north in search of Bonham, until the airplane ran out of fuel near Boswell, Oklahoma. Subsequently, the airplane was damaged during a forced landing in a rough/uneven field.
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: 52 hours in all; 52 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 14 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,395 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 30, 1996; 49 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F46 Rockwall TX at 8:30 pm
- Destination: F00 Bonham TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°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.