What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 01/11/2026, at approximately 19:25 EST, a Piper PA-28-180, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Okeechobee, FL. The airplane was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight. The flight originated from Okeechobee airport (obe), with one pilot and one passenger at 19:10 (EST). Preliminary automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data revealed that after takeoff from obe, the airplane climbed and turned to a ground track of 183°, then leveled off for about 12 minutes at 2,100 ft mean sea level (MSL), with a maximum groundspeed of 110 KTS before climbing to 2,300 ft MSL. At approximately 19:23, the aircraft experienced engine failure due to unknown causes. The pilot attempted a 180 degree right-hand turn to return to kobe. The aircraft began to lose altitude and descended into wooded terrain at approximatelty 10:25. The aircraft struck trees which caused the separation of both wings. The aircraft came to rest inverted, with the nose of the aircraft facing the south-west, approximately 100 ft from the initial impact with the trees. The cabin / cockpit sustained crushing damage. All major components of the airplane were located at the accident site. The engine was still attached to the airframe, but was buried in the earth and the propeller was not visible.
The pilot suffered major injuries requiring hospitalization, the passenger suffered minor injuries that required temporary hosptialization.
During aircraft disassemblyinspection, the following items were noted:
The propeller was turned and was free of binding.
The magnetos were removed and hansparked on all leads.
The spark plugs were removed and found to be functional (continuity check and no fouling).
The engine driven vaccum pump was spun by hand and found to be functional.
The engine was checked for compression leaks on all four cylinders, no leaks found.
A borescope inspection of the piston heads was performed, and no defects were noted.
The air filter was removed and found to be clean and free of debris.
The carbuerator was disassembled. The fuel main jet was found to have excessive carbon coating.
The carbuerator metering pin was broken.
The gascolator (strainer bowl) was not safety wired (bail wire) and was loose/did not require torque to remove - finger tight. The gascolator showed signs of fuel leakage. The gasolator o-ring showed signs of fuel and air leakage.
The fuel lines between the fuel selector (cockpit) and the gascolator were clear and free of obstruction.
The fuel selector was operated by hand, and the detents were found to be functional.
As the FAA filed it
ON 01/11/2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 19:25 EST, A PIPER PA-28-180, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR OKEECHOBEE, FL. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM OKEECHOBEE AIRPORT (OBE), WITH ONE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER AT 19:10 (EST). PRELIMINARY AUTOMATIC DEPENDENT SURVEILLANCE-BROADCAST (ADS-B) DATA REVEALED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF FROM OBE, THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED AND TURNED TO A GROUND TRACK OF 183°, THEN LEVELED OFF FOR ABOUT 12 MINUTES AT 2,100 FT MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL), WITH A MAXIMUM GROUNDSPEED OF 110 KTS BEFORE CLIMBING TO 2,300 FT MSL. AT APPROXIMATELY 19:23, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO UNKNOWN CAUSES. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A 180 DEGREE RIGHT-HAND TURN TO RETURN TO KOBE. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO LOSE ALTITUDE AND DESCENDED INTO WOODED TERRAIN AT APPROXIMATELTY 10:25. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK TREES WHICH CAUSED THE SEPARATION OF BOTH WINGS. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INVERTED, WITH THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT FACING THE SOUTH-WEST, APPROXIMATELY 100 FT FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT WITH THE TREES. THE CABIN / COCKPIT SUSTAINED CRUSHING DAMAGE. ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE AIRPLANE WERE LOCATED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE ENGINE WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME, BUT WAS BURIED IN THE EARTH AND THE PROPELLER WAS NOT VISIBLE.
THE PILOT SUFFERED MAJOR INJURIES REQUIRING HOSPITALIZATION, THE PASSENGER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES THAT REQUIRED TEMPORARY HOSPTIALIZATION.
DURING AIRCRAFT DISASSEMBLYINSPECTION, THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WERE NOTED:
THE PROPELLER WAS TURNED AND WAS FREE OF BINDING.
THE MAGNETOS WERE REMOVED AND HANSPARKED ON ALL LEADS.
THE SPARK PLUGS WERE REMOVED AND FOUND TO BE FUNCTIONAL (CONTINUITY CHECK AND NO FOULING).
THE ENGINE DRIVEN VACCUM PUMP WAS SPUN BY HAND AND FOUND TO BE FUNCTIONAL.
THE ENGINE WAS CHECKED FOR COMPRESSION LEAKS ON ALL FOUR CYLINDERS, NO LEAKS FOUND.
A BORESCOPE INSPECTION OF THE PISTON HEADS WAS PERFORMED, AND NO DEFECTS WERE NOTED.
THE AIR FILTER WAS REMOVED AND FOUND TO BE CLEAN AND FREE OF DEBRIS.
THE CARBUERATOR WAS DISASSEMBLED. THE FUEL MAIN JET WAS FOUND TO HAVE EXCESSIVE CARBON COATING.
THE CARBUERATOR METERING PIN WAS BROKEN.
THE GASCOLATOR (STRAINER BOWL) WAS NOT SAFETY WIRED (BAIL WIRE) AND WAS LOOSE/DID NOT REQUIRE TORQUE TO REMOVE - FINGER TIGHT. THE GASCOLATOR SHOWED SIGNS OF FUEL LEAKAGE. THE GASOLATOR O-RING SHOWED SIGNS OF FUEL AND AIR LEAKAGE.
THE FUEL LINES BETWEEN THE FUEL SELECTOR (COCKPIT) AND THE GASCOLATOR WERE CLEAR AND FREE OF OBSTRUCTION.
THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS OPERATED BY HAND, AND THE DETENTS WERE FOUND TO BE FUNCTIONAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.