- Date
- January 30, 1997, 17:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Boswell, OK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2493APiper PA-38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970130000989A
- Case key
- 20155
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The student pilot's improper inflight planning and decision, after becoming lost/disoriented, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, before landing in a suitable landing area. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot of another aircraft did not accurately identify the lost airplane before providing directions, and the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing, once the engine lost power.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to the student pilot and the operator of the airplane, the student was on a solo cross country flight from Rockwall, Texas, to Bonham, Texas, with an intermediate stop in Paris, Texas. During the flight from Rockwall to Paris, the student did not locate his destination airport. After trying to find the airport for approximately 20 minutes, he continued on toward Bonham, which was approximately 37 nautical miles from Paris. The student became disoriented and attempted to contact both Fort Worth and McAlester Flight Service Stations without success. Other pilots in the area heard the student's calls and attempted to help. A pilot, who thought he saw the student's airplane (but might have seen another airplane), informed the student that Bonham was north of his position. The student flew north in search of Bonham, until the airplane ran out of fuel near Boswell, Oklahoma. Subsequently, the airplane was damaged during a forced landing in a rough/uneven field.
Factual narrative
On January 30, 1997, at 1730 central standard time, a Piper PA-38-112, N2493A, registered to and operated by Texas Flyers, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Boswell, Oklahoma. The student pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the Title 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. A flight plan was not filed for the solo cross country flight that originated at Rockwall, Texas at 1430.
According to the Pilot/Operator Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) received from the pilot and the operator of the airplane, the student pilot was on a solo cross country flight from Rockwall, Texas, to Bonham, Texas, with an intermediate stop in Paris, Texas. During the flight from Rockwall to Paris, the student pilot could not locate his destination airport. After trying to find the airport for approximately 20 minutes, he continued on towards Bonham, which was approximately 37 nautical miles from Paris. The student became disoriented and attempted to contact both Fort Worth and McAlester Flight Service Stations without success. Other pilots in the area heard the student's calls and attempted to help. One pilot, who thought he saw the student's airplane, informed him that Bonham was to the north. The student flew north in search of Bonham, until the airplane ran out of fuel near Boswell, Oklahoma. During the forced landing to a rough field, the fuselage and empennage of the airplane were substantially damaged, and the engine separated from the airframe.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2493A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-78A0713
- Airframe hours
- 3,395
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Texas Flyers Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 30, 1996 · 49 hours before
- Departed
- F46 · Rockwall, TX
- Destination
- F00 · Bonham, TX
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 52 total · 52 in this make and model · 14 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.