# Fuel related

- Type: NTSB defining event
- NTSB code: 190
- CICTT category: Fuel
- Defining event in: 269 cases
- In the sequence of: 361 cases
- Fatal cases: 27
- All cases: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190/cases.md
- Cases with it anywhere in the sequence: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190/sequence.md
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190

## Cases per year (defining / in the sequence)

- 2008: 5 / 21
- 2009: 3 / 14
- 2010: 4 / 8
- 2011: 2 / 3
- 2012: 4 / 6
- 2013: 6 / 10
- 2014: 2 / 5
- 2015: 8 / 14
- 2016: 11 / 17
- 2017: 15 / 22
- 2018: 24 / 30
- 2019: 26 / 30
- 2020: 36 / 39
- 2021: 28 / 37
- 2022: 26 / 29
- 2023: 23 / 28
- 2024: 24 / 24
- 2025: 15 / 16
- 2026: 7 / 8

## Phase of flight

- Initial climb: 40 cases
- Enroute-cruise: 39 cases
- Enroute: 39 cases
- Approach: 25 cases
- Approach-VFR pattern final: 20 cases
- Maneuvering: 19 cases
- Takeoff: 18 cases
- Enroute-descent: 15 cases
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: 12 cases
- Approach-VFR pattern downwind: 8 cases

## In the probable cause of these cases

- [Conducive to carburetor icing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030) (Environmental issues): 128 cases
- [Fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010) (Aircraft): 64 cases
- [Use of equip/system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015) (Personnel issues): 50 cases
- [Intake anti-ice, deice](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023020) (Aircraft): 45 cases
- [Lack of action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030) (Personnel issues): 37 cases
- [Delayed action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025) (Personnel issues): 25 cases
- [Identification/recognition](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510) (Personnel issues): 20 cases
- [Decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520) (Personnel issues): 19 cases
- [Fuel control/carburetor](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057322) (Aircraft): 16 cases
- [Aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040) (Personnel issues): 13 cases

## Aircraft models (registry)

- [Piper PA-28-140](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140): 7 cases
- [Cessna 150M](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150m): 6 cases
- [Piper PA-28-181](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181): 6 cases
- [Piper PA-18-150](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18-150): 5 cases
- [Cessna 172M](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172m): 5 cases
- [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta): 4 cases
- [Piper PA-28-161](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161): 4 cases
- [Aeronca 7AC](https://openairdocs.org/model/aeronca-7ac): 4 cases
- [Cessna 172P](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172p): 4 cases
- [Aeronca 11AC](https://openairdocs.org/model/aeronca-11ac): 4 cases

## Newest cases

- [NTSB DCA26WA372](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA26WA372), Sep 22, 2026: Airbus Canada BD500 (VH-X4A), Garbutt, Australia, incident
- [NTSB ERA26FA243](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26FA243), Jun 21, 2026: Piper PA-28-181 (N249WF), Bowie, MD, substantial damage, 3 fatal, investigation ongoing
- [NTSB DCA26WA241](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA26WA241), Jun 21, 2026: Boeing 787-9 (N27997), Singapore, Singapore, occurrence
- [NTSB DCA26WA221](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA26WA221), May 24, 2026: Airbus A321 (VH-OFW), Stuarts Creek, Australia, occurrence, no damage
- [NTSB CEN26LA190](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA190), May 16, 2026: Downer 14-19-3 (N7NL), Forney, TX, substantial damage, 1 fatal, investigation ongoing
- [NTSB CEN26LA189](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA189), May 15, 2026: Mooney M20J (N201QM), Morris, IL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s inadequate fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
- [NTSB ERA26LA092](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA092), Jan 9, 2026: Cessna 172P (N96493), Flemington, GA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s inadvertent manipulation of the mixture control, which resulted in a total loss of engine power during initial climb and a subsequent forced lading.
- [NTSB ERA26LA079](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA079), Dec 27, 2025: Cessna 140 (N89884), Ceres, VA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to recognize and mitigate carburetor icing, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power and forced landing.
- [NTSB ANC25LA112](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC25LA112), Sep 22, 2025: Cessna 172 (N4282F), Yakataga, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing and the pilot’s failure to effectively use carburetor heat in meteorological conditions conducive to the formation of carburetor icing.
- [NTSB DCA25WA325](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA25WA325), Sep 1, 2025: Airbus A320 (VT-ATF), Chennai, India, incident, no damage

NTSB has coded findings and defining events since 2008; earlier cases used its older occurrence and cause codes and aren't counted.

Findings: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings.md. Defining events: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events.md. Phases of flight: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases.md. Every investigation, filtered by finding, event, phase, state, year or model: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb.md (for example ?state=MI&fatal=1).

NTSB's definitions: Accident and incident, 49 CFR 830.2 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-VIII/part-830/subpart-A/section-830.2), CICTT occurrence categories (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/OccurrenceCategoryDefinitions.pdf), CICTT phases of flight (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/PhaseofFlightDefinitions.pdf), and NTSB coding manual, before 2008 (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). NTSB publishes no definitions for its findings, only their names.

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