- Date
- October 1, 2014, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Yankton, SD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6659ZPiper PA 25-235
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 20, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20141001019939A
- Case key
- 90197
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 pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
After conducting an aerial application flight and attempting to return to the airport, the pilot noticed that the fuel float gauge displayed a low quantity. The airplane's engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot performed a forced landing in a cornfield about 3 miles west of the airport. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported in a postaccident statement that he ran out of fuel.
Factual narrative
After conducting an aerial application flight and attempting to return to the airport, the pilot noticed that the fuel float gauge displayed a low quantity. The airplane's engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot performed a forced landing in a cornfield about 3 miles west of the airport. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported in a postaccident statement that he ran out of fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6659Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA 25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-2258
- Built
- 1963
- Airframe hours
- 3,355
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540 B2C5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 4, 2014
- Departed
- Meckling, SD
- Destination
- Tabor, SD
- Airport
- YKN · Chan Gurney Muni
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2013
- Seat
- Center
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,320 total · 800 in this make and model · 360 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.72 inHg
- Observed at
- KYKN, 5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 14, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.