# Incident 20260308002269I: Piper PA-24-250, Belen, NM, March 8, 2026

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 8, 2026, 11:00 local time
- Place: Belen, NM
- Airport: Belen Regional Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.6459° N, 106.8363° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at BELEN RGNL (BRG), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.6459&lon=-106.8363&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5142P, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5142P) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-24-250 (registry code 7102404, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-24-250
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,204 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260308002269I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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