# NTSB ERA26LA358: Piper PA24, N6985P, Union City, OH, August 10, 2026 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report - Date: August 10, 2026, 18:00 local (22:00 UTC) - Place: Union City, OH - Coordinates: 40.1744, -84.738973 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.1744&lon=-84.7390&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Investigation ongoing - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 203910 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA26LA358 - NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/203910/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA358 ## Preliminary report On August 10, 2026, about 1800eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-24-250, N6985P, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Union City, Ohio. The flight instructor and the private pilot were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14?Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that he was giving a flight review to the airplane owner because the owner’s flight review was expired. Prior to the initial departure, an engine run-up was performed and “everything was normal.” The flight departed from Portland Municipal Airport (PLD), Portland, Indiana with about 55 gallons of fuel on board (nearly full) and proceeded to Randolph County Airport (I22), Winchester, Indiana, where a full stop landing was performed. The engine was secured before being restarted a few minutes later for another flight. Another engine run-up was performed with no discrepancies reported. The flight departed from I22 with the fuel selector position to the right fuel tank and the pilot climbed to 3,500 ft mean sea level where he performed air work for about 45 minutes. The flight instructor then asked the owner to come out of slow flight and go back to cruise flight. After leveling out of the turn the flight instructor reported that the engine “had a complete failure [but] the propeller was wind milling.” The flight instructor directed the owner to establish best glide airspeed, turn on the fuel auxiliary boost pump, and change the fuel selector to the left tank, which he did. While maneuvering for a nearby field the flight instructor “cycled the engine primer 4 times to get fuel to the engine…” but that did not restore engine power. At that time the airplane was at 200 ft above ground level and the owner lowered the landing gear. The airplane came to rest upright in the field with the nose and left main landing gear extended and the right wing resting on the ground. While the airplane was being recovered from the accident site, the left and right fuel tanks were drained, and contained about 12 gallons and 5 gallons of fuel, respectively. The recovery of the airplane was delayed due to the wet condition of the field. The airplane was retained for further examination. ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-24-250, 23 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=7102404), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Piper PA-24-250, 23 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=7102404), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094); cases with it: [Piper PA-24-250, 9 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=7102404), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md) ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6985P](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6985P), registered now, S/N 24-2128, built 1960 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA24 (250) - Registry model: [Piper PA-24-250](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (registry code 7102404) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (registry code 41532, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 24-2128 - Year built: 1960 - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Departed: I22, Winchester, IN - Equipment: ADS-B ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 220° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 4,100 ft broken - Temperature: 86 °F, dew point 79 °F - Altimeter: 29.96 inHg - Observed at: KVES, 10 nm away - METAR: METAR KVES 102155Z AUTO 22006KT 10SM BKN041 BKN050 BKN060 30/26 A2996 RMK AO2= ## Other investigations on N6985P (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB MKC69F0004](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MKC69F0004-201092), Jun 11, 1968: Piper PA-24 (N6985P), Norfolk, NE, substantial damage From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.