What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Thursday 02/22/2026 at 1200 hours a Piper pa 23 aircraft had an accident while executing an emergency landing after a multi engine failure. Flight purpose was training and relocation of aircraft, and no flight plan was filed. Aircraft sustained substantial damage to the right wing, and no injuries were reported. Student pilot is a single engine private pilot, and the other pilot is a multi-engine CFI. The origin of this flight was ktcc.
After approximately, 3 hrs 10-15MIN the aircraft landed in tucumcari (ktcc) to fuel up. Once landed, the aircraft proceeded to taxi to the fuel station. A person on the CTAF frequency asked for our intentions, replied that we needed to fuel up. He said they had no fuel and to try santa rosa airport (ksxu). The plane was taxied near the fuel station. Looked up santa rosa airport and plugged it into foreflight. We saw it was approximately 22-25 min flight. We then back taxi on runway 26 and departed west towards santa rosa airport (ksxu).
Once airborne, approximately 20 miles from santa rosa, simultaneously, both engines surged once and immediately failed. The student pilot got nervous and asked the CFI what was happening, he said we are running out of gas. The student pilot, up to this point, had been doing all of the flying (for the experience), and upon the dual engine failure, the CFI took up flying duties. The CFI assured that the fuel levers were on, the cross feed was engaged, the CFI had the student pilot turn on the boost pumps, and went full mixtures and throttles, aimed for the off-airport landing site, and prepared for the off-airport landing. In seconds we were on the ground and rolling, this loud noise of shaking metal. Suddenly, the right main gear buckled which caused the plane to slightly turn left going sideways then we came to a complete stop after a successful off-airport landing, we evacuated the aircraft, assessed our condition, reached out to law enforcement, and to the NTSB.
No airworthiness or maintenance anomalies noted.
As the FAA filed it
ON THURSDAY 02/22/2026 AT 1200 HOURS A PIPER PA 23 AIRCRAFT HAD AN ACCIDENT WHILE EXECUTING AN EMERGENCY LANDING AFTER A MULTI ENGINE FAILURE. FLIGHT PURPOSE WAS TRAINING AND RELOCATION OF AIRCRAFT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING, AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. STUDENT PILOT IS A SINGLE ENGINE PRIVATE PILOT, AND THE OTHER PILOT IS A MULTI-ENGINE CFI. THE ORIGIN OF THIS FLIGHT WAS KTCC.
AFTER APPROXIMATELY, 3 HRS 10-15MIN THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN TUCUMCARI (KTCC) TO FUEL UP. ONCE LANDED, THE AIRCRAFT PROCEEDED TO TAXI TO THE FUEL STATION. A PERSON ON THE CTAF FREQUENCY ASKED FOR OUR INTENTIONS, REPLIED THAT WE NEEDED TO FUEL UP. HE SAID THEY HAD NO FUEL AND TO TRY SANTA ROSA AIRPORT (KSXU). THE PLANE WAS TAXIED NEAR THE FUEL STATION. LOOKED UP SANTA ROSA AIRPORT AND PLUGGED IT INTO FOREFLIGHT. WE SAW IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 22-25 MIN FLIGHT. WE THEN BACK TAXI ON RUNWAY 26 AND DEPARTED WEST TOWARDS SANTA ROSA AIRPORT (KSXU).
ONCE AIRBORNE, APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES FROM SANTA ROSA, SIMULTANEOUSLY, BOTH ENGINES SURGED ONCE AND IMMEDIATELY FAILED. THE STUDENT PILOT GOT NERVOUS AND ASKED THE CFI WHAT WAS HAPPENING, HE SAID WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF GAS. THE STUDENT PILOT, UP TO THIS POINT, HAD BEEN DOING ALL OF THE FLYING (FOR THE EXPERIENCE), AND UPON THE DUAL ENGINE FAILURE, THE CFI TOOK UP FLYING DUTIES. THE CFI ASSURED THAT THE FUEL LEVERS WERE ON, THE CROSS FEED WAS ENGAGED, THE CFI HAD THE STUDENT PILOT TURN ON THE BOOST PUMPS, AND WENT FULL MIXTURES AND THROTTLES, AIMED FOR THE OFF-AIRPORT LANDING SITE, AND PREPARED FOR THE OFF-AIRPORT LANDING. IN SECONDS WE WERE ON THE GROUND AND ROLLING, THIS LOUD NOISE OF SHAKING METAL. SUDDENLY, THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR BUCKLED WHICH CAUSED THE PLANE TO SLIGHTLY TURN LEFT GOING SIDEWAYS THEN WE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AFTER A SUCCESSFUL OFF-AIRPORT LANDING, WE EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT, ASSESSED OUR CONDITION, REACHED OUT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND TO THE NTSB.
NO AIRWORTHINESS OR MAINTENANCE ANOMALIES NOTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.