# NTSB CEN26LA003: Quartz Mountain Aerospace 11E, N516BW, Earlham, IA, October 1, 2025 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: October 1, 2025, 18:15 local (23:15 UTC) - Place: Earlham, IA - Coordinates: 41.44875, -94.112944 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.4487&lon=-94.1129&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 13, 2026 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 201772 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN26LA003 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/201772/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=201772 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA003 ## Probable cause The flight instructor’s inadequate fuel management which resulted in the total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Quartz Mountain Aerospace 11E, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=7320100), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: use of equip/system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015): Personnel issues › Task performance · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Quartz Mountain Aerospace 11E, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md?model=7320100), [All aircraft, 1,391 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) (defining event); cases with it: [Quartz Mountain Aerospace 11E, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md?model=7320100), [All aircraft, 804 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md) - [Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341); cases with it: [Quartz Mountain Aerospace 11E, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=7320100), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) ## Analysis The flight instructor reported that he and student departed about 1345 on a local flight to practice instrument approaches. About 1700, while returning to the destination airport and crossing the initial approach fix for a practice instrument approach, the left fuel tank indicator showed empty, and the right tank indicated about ¼ full (about 5 gallons remaining). About 6 miles from the runway, they felt a reduction in power, and the student announced the engine had lost power. The flight instructor took the controls and maneuvered the airplane to perform a forced landing to a field. They attempted to restart the engine, but the restart was not successful. During the forced landing, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot estimated the total flight time was 3 hours and 15 minutes. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to empennage, and the fuel line to the fuel pump inlet did not contain any fuel. During recovery, a few ounces were found in the fuel system. The fuel tanks did not appear to be compromised, and fuel seepage from the wings was not detected on the ground. The flight instructor reported that throughout the flight, the student properly leaned the engine during cruise, and the fuel flow indicator showed about 6 gallons an hour average consumption during those times. The RPMs read about 2,100 to 2,200, and the indicated airspeed was just over 100 knots. The airplane’s fuel capacity was 40 gallons, and prior to departure, the airplane’s fuel tanks were full. The installed engine was derated to 185-horsepower. Engine performance charts showed that at 195-horsepower, fuel consumption could be approximately 15.8 gallons per hour. At 75% power (about 157-horsepower), fuel consumption was about 12.6 gallons per hour. However, precise flight information was not available to confirm total fuel consumption for the accident flight. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N516BW](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N516BW-2026-06-22), registration cancelled 2026-06-22, S/N 1007 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: QUARTZ MOUNTAIN AEROSPACE INC 11E - Registry model: [Quartz Mountain Aerospace 11E](https://openairdocs.org/model/quartz-mountain-aerospace-11e) (registry code 7320100) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-360-ES](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-360-es) (registry code 17160, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 1007 - Year built: 2008 - Airframe hours: 766.2 - Engines: Continental IO-360-ES8B 185 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Beecher Aviation LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: September 25, 2025 - Departed: 3Y3, Winterset, IA - Destination: Same as departure - Flight plan: VFR/IFR - Airport: 3Y3, Winterset Municipal - Equipment: ADS-B ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 29; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: unknown; last flight review February 15, 2024; seat: right; flight hours: 1,879 total, 18.2 in this make and model, 1,778.7 as pilot in command, 112.5 in the last 90 days, 37.6 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours - Other flight crew; age 35; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review April 5, 2025; seat: left; flight hours: 134.8 total, 12.8 in this make and model, 89.3 as pilot in command, 28.3 in the last 90 days, 22.2 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 130° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 20,000 ft broken - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 57 °F - Altimeter: 30.06 inHg - Observed at: KDSM, 21 nm away - METAR: METAR KDSM 012254Z 13008KT 10SM FEW075 BKN200 28/14 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP173 T02780139= ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20251001015319A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20251001015319A), Oct 1, 2025: Quartz Mountain Aerospace Inc 11E, Winterset, IA, Substantial damage. Engine power loss due to fuel exhaustion while on the RNAV 14 approach to 3Y3 at 2,700 ft. an emergency landing was performed on a recently tilled farm field… ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 13, 2026, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=201772. 6.5 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 4.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19880080&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=cen26la003%20ntsb%20form%206120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photos (item 2, PDF, 3 pages, 2 photos, 254 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19879030&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=cen26la003%20pictures-Rel.pdf - FAA findings (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 2 photos, 251 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19878091&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FAA%20Findings-Rel.pdf - Fuel receipts (item 4, PDF, 2 pages, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19878789&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Fuel%20Receipts_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Engine performance excerpt (item 5, PDF, 1 page, 116 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19902632&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Engine%20Performance%20Excerpt-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.