- Date
- June 14, 2026, 19:50 local (Jun 15, 2026, 00:50 UTC)
- Place
- Meridian, MS · Field
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8143YPiper PA-30
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 1, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Jackson FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260614007379A
- Case key
- 203175
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 total loss of power to both engines due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to verify the airplane’s fuel quantity before departure.
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 instructed the fixed base operator line crew to top off the main tanks and fill the auxiliary tanks to ½ inch gap from the top of the tank. The pilot reported that he did not open the fuel caps to verify the fuel level. The flight departed with the pilot believing that sufficient fuel was onboard to complete the flight with an adequate reserve. Near the destination airport, the left engine began surging and subsequently lost power. The pilot's attempts to restore engine power, including the use of the auxiliary fuel tanks and electric fuel pump, were unsuccessful. Shortly thereafter, the right engine also began surging and lost power. After determining that the airplane could not reach the destination airport, the pilot conducted a forced landing to a pasture. During the landing rollout, the airplane collided with trees, resulting in substantial damage to both wings and the empennage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of either engine. In the accident report the pilot emphasized the importance of physically verifying fuel quantity before each flight, and reliance solely on assumptions regarding fuel quantity may increase the risk of fuel-related incidents.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8143Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-30
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30-1254
- Built
- 1966
- Airframe hours
- 5,316
- Engines
- Lycoming IO-360-C1A, 160 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming IO-360-C1A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Tennave LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 6, 2025
- Departed
- FXE · Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Destination
- MEI · Meridian, MS
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KMEI · Key Field
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Handheld GPS, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 24, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,304 total · 478 in this make and model · 1,215 as pilot in command · 52 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- KMEI, 6 nm away
- METAR
- KMEI 150058Z 23005KT 10SM CLR 29/23 A2994 RMK AO2 SLP134 T02940233 $
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 1, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.1 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 N8143Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.