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20260308002269I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-24-250 · Belen, NM · March 8, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 8, 2026 · 11:00 local
Place
Belen, NM
Airport
Belen Regional Airport
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N5142P
Reported as
Piper PA-24-250
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,204 total
N5142PRegistered now · Piper PA-24-250S/N 24-157 · Built 1958Airframe modelPiper PA-24-250Engine modelLycoming 0-540 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On 03/08/2026 at 1736 in a Piper PA24 an off-field landing was executed. Phase of operation was climb out at cruise transition. This was a recreational flight to casa grande, and no flight plan was filed. There was no damage to the aircraft, but the engine was seized. There were no crew/passenger injuries, the pilot is a private pilot, and the flight originated from kbrg on 03/08/2026 at 1710.

Took off from kbrg at 1710 after adding 1 qt of oil and filling with fuel, also removed oil cooler winter cover due to warmer temperatures. After take-off, started a fairly steep climb to 10,000 feet to clear mountains. It was at 9800 feet getting ready to level off when a shutter and RPM variant was felt, the pilot was looking out the side window as he was flying into the evening sun. At this point the pilot scanned the instruments and noticed that there was no oil pressure and no oil temperature indication. At this point the pilot turned the aircraft around and headed back towards kbrg adding enough power to slow the descent. The engine got louder and then seized. The pilot made a distress call and landed the aircraft-off field 4.5 miles from the end of runway 21 kbrg.

As the FAA filed it

ON 03/08/2026 AT 1736 IN A PIPER PA24 AN OFF-FIELD LANDING WAS EXECUTED. PHASE OF OPERATION WAS CLIMB OUT AT CRUISE TRANSITION. THIS WAS A RECREATIONAL FLIGHT TO CASA GRANDE, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT, BUT THE ENGINE WAS SEIZED. THERE WERE NO CREW/PASSENGER INJURIES, THE PILOT IS A PRIVATE PILOT, AND THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM KBRG ON 03/08/2026 AT 1710.

TOOK OFF FROM KBRG AT 1710 AFTER ADDING 1 QT OF OIL AND FILLING WITH FUEL, ALSO REMOVED OIL COOLER WINTER COVER DUE TO WARMER TEMPERATURES. AFTER TAKE-OFF, STARTED A FAIRLY STEEP CLIMB TO 10,000 FEET TO CLEAR MOUNTAINS. IT WAS AT 9800 FEET GETTING READY TO LEVEL OFF WHEN A SHUTTER AND RPM VARIANT WAS FELT, THE PILOT WAS LOOKING OUT THE SIDE WINDOW AS HE WAS FLYING INTO THE EVENING SUN. AT THIS POINT THE PILOT SCANNED THE INSTRUMENTS AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS NO OIL PRESSURE AND NO OIL TEMPERATURE INDICATION. AT THIS POINT THE PILOT TURNED THE AIRCRAFT AROUND AND HEADED BACK TOWARDS KBRG ADDING ENOUGH POWER TO SLOW THE DESCENT. THE ENGINE GOT LOUDER AND THEN SEIZED. THE PILOT MADE A DISTRESS CALL AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT-OFF FIELD 4.5 MILES FROM THE END OF RUNWAY 21 KBRG.