Piper PA-23 accident near Newkirk, New Mexico, January 22, 2026
On January 22, 2026 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 1955 Piper PA-23, registered N1210P, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Newkirk, New Mexico. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots inadequate preflight planning and improper in-flight decision-making, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent landing on rough terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 22, 2026 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Newkirk, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23, built 1955 · all PA-23s on the register
- Registration
- N1210P · registry record · serial 23-226
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot receiving instruction and flight instructor were conducting a 1,020 nautical mile (nm) cross-country flight, with multiple planned fuel stops. Upon arrival at one of their planned fuel stops, they discovered that no fuel was available at the airport. The pilots elected to proceed to another airport located about 53 nm away. While enroute at an altitude of about 6,500 ft, the left and right engines began sputtering. The flight instructor stated that they were running out of fuel, and shortly thereafter, both engines experienced a complete loss of engine power. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilots conducted an off-airport landing in an open field. During the landing roll, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing impacted the surface, resulting in substantial damage to the right-wing spar. A post-accident inspection of the airplane revealed that the left-wing fuel tank was empty, while the right wing contained a small, undetermined amount of fuel. A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) which advised fuel was not available at the airport was issued about 1 month prior to the accident and was still in effect at the time of the accident.
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
What happened, in order
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 416.5 hours in all; 10 in the last 90 days; 2.5 in the last 30 days; 275.3 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 16, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: unmanned (suas)
- Flight time: 7,355 hours in all; 55 in this make and model; 7,188 as pilot in command; 5,998 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 12, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,959.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 2, 2025; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming O-320-A3B (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming O-320-A3B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TCC Tucumcari NM at 9:10 pm
- Destination: SXU Santa Rosa NM
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 12:00 pm from KTCC, 34 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KTCC 221853Z AUTO 29008KT 10SM CLR 13/M11 A2996 RMK AO2 SLP128 T01331111 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
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.
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 WPR26LA089.