- Date
- September 26, 2024, 13:23 local (18:23 UTC)
- Place
- Muskogee, OK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6548ZPiper PA-25-235
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20240926013989A
- Case key
- 195215
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 inattention to refueling during turn-around operations 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
The pilot was returning from his third aerial application flight of the day when the engine sputtered and lost all power. While attempting to land, the left wing collided with trees and the airplane cartwheeled. The wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tank contained no fuel. The fuel system was intact, and no leaks were noted. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He reported that he reloaded chemicals and but forgot to refuel the airplane. He stated he spent about 10 minutes on the ground before the accident flight and that he could have slowed down and given more attention to refueling.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6548Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-2090
- Built
- 1962
- Airframe hours
- 2,102.7
- Engine
- Lycoming B2B5-C-AID5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 18, 2024
- Departed
- Webber Falls, OK
- Destination
- Webber Falls, OK
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
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 17, 2023
- Seat
- Center
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 895 total · 90 in this make and model · 841 as pilot in command · 210 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.99 inHg
- Observed at
- KMKO, 10 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KMKO 260553Z AUTO 32005KT 6SM BR CLR 16/14 A2999
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 2, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.5 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.
Other investigations on N6548Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.