Piper PA-32R-300 N4556Q

Summary

On 22 May 2026 at about 23:40 local time, a Piper PA-32R-300 registered N4556Q was involved in an accident near Comanche, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause has been published yet; this accident is still under investigation.

Date

22 May 2026 at 23:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Comanche, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Comanche County-City Airport (MKN)

Coordinates

31.9237, -98.5952

Aircraft

Piper PA-32R-300

Registration

N4556Q

Category

Airplane

Year built

1977

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Comanche → Fabens

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN26LA202

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. The investigation is still open; a final report usually follows one to two years after the accident.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On May 22, 2026, about 1840 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-300 airplane, N4556Q, was substantially damaged during an accident near Comanche, Texas. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 business flight. The pilot reported that the airplane fuel system contained about 94 gallons of fuel before the flight and there were no issues with engine operation during a before takeoff engine runup. The pilot stated that the airplane was configured for takeoff with wing flaps at 25°, the fuel selector positioned to the left tank, and the auxiliary fuel pump turned on. The takeoff was conducted on runway 17. After an uneventful takeoff roll and liftoff, the pilot established a positive rate climb, retracted the landing gear, and retracted the wing flaps. The pilot was about to enter a left turn to west when the airplane had a sudden reduction in engine power. The pilot immediately turned left to enter a left traffic pattern for runway 17 as he verified that the engine throttle was full forward, the mixture control was full rich, the auxiliary fuel pump was on, and he selected the right fuel tank. The airplane was unable to maintain altitude and eventually there was a total loss of engine power. The pilot conducted a forced landing in a field on a heading of north. The pilot was able to extend the landing gear and wing flaps before landing in the field, but the airplane struck a barbed-wire fence and descended a hill. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the empennage during the accident. The airplane wreckage was recovered to a secure location where an examination will be conducted.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.