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20260614007379A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-30 · Meridian, MS · June 14, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
June 14, 2026 · 18:40 local
Place
Meridian, MS
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8143Y
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN26LA225
Reported as
Piper PA-30
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-320-C1A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,304 total478 in this make and model52 in the last 90 days
N8143YRegistered now · Piper PA-30S/N 30-1254 · Built 1966Airframe modelPiper PA-30Engine modelLycoming IO-320 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.

Accident occurred on 06-15-2026 at approximately 0040 UTC. A Piper PA30 twin comanchee) flown by PIC declared an emergency when left engine quit. The aircraft was enroute from fxe to MEI at an IFR cruising altitude of 8000’ MSL. The PIC switched to right fuel tank and lost the right engine shortly thereafter as the aircraft was drifting down. The PIC was concerned that he could not make it to his planned destination but noticed open fields approximately 5 miles southeast of MEI. Flaps and landing gear were extended, and the aircraft was placed in a slip configuration to lose enough altitude to make the fields. Initial impact occurred in the first grassy field, and the aircraft travelled approximately 100 meters and tore through a barbed wire fence. The aircraft wing tips were torn off at that point after exiting a thin tree line. The aircraft travelled approximately 200 meters through the second grassy field before impacting trees on the tree line at the opposite side of that field. Both wings were ripped off at that point as the aircraft impacted hard wood trees. The aircraft received substantial damage. PIC and passenger were not injured. PIC was an appropriately credentialled commercial multi-engine pilot with 1304 hours total time and 478 hours in make and model (PA30). The PIC stated that he thought that fuel exhaustion may have been the cause of the accident. The left wing was upright, and the left fuel tank was noted to be empty when checked by iic the following morning.

As the FAA filed it

ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON 06-15-2026 AT APPROXIMATELY 0040 UTC. A PIPER PA30 TWIN COMANCHEE) FLOWN BY PIC DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WHEN LEFT ENGINE QUIT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ENROUTE FROM FXE TO MEI AT AN IFR CRUISING ALTITUDE OF 8000’ MSL. THE PIC SWITCHED TO RIGHT FUEL TANK AND LOST THE RIGHT ENGINE SHORTLY THEREAFTER AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS DRIFTING DOWN. THE PIC WAS CONCERNED THAT HE COULD NOT MAKE IT TO HIS PLANNED DESTINATION BUT NOTICED OPEN FIELDS APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MEI. FLAPS AND LANDING GEAR WERE EXTENDED, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS PLACED IN A SLIP CONFIGURATION TO LOSE ENOUGH ALTITUDE TO MAKE THE FIELDS. INITIAL IMPACT OCCURRED IN THE FIRST GRASSY FIELD, AND THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELLED APPROXIMATELY 100 METERS AND TORE THROUGH A BARBED WIRE FENCE. THE AIRCRAFT WING TIPS WERE TORN OFF AT THAT POINT AFTER EXITING A THIN TREE LINE. THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELLED APPROXIMATELY 200 METERS THROUGH THE SECOND GRASSY FIELD BEFORE IMPACTING TREES ON THE TREE LINE AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THAT FIELD. BOTH WINGS WERE RIPPED OFF AT THAT POINT AS THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED HARD WOOD TREES. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. PIC AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. PIC WAS AN APPROPRIATELY CREDENTIALLED COMMERCIAL MULTI-ENGINE PILOT WITH 1304 HOURS TOTAL TIME AND 478 HOURS IN MAKE AND MODEL (PA30). THE PIC STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THAT FUEL EXHAUSTION MAY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. THE LEFT WING WAS UPRIGHT, AND THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS NOTED TO BE EMPTY WHEN CHECKED BY IIC THE FOLLOWING MORNING.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN26LA225Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportMeridian, MSThe total loss of power to both engines due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to verify the airplane’s fuel quantity before departure.Jun 15, 2026 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N8143Y · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19781216039389ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Kankakee, ILGear retraction tube,p/n 2101203,brokenDec 16, 1978 · Substantial damage