# NTSB CEN26LA309: Mooney M20E, N55GA, West Branch, IA, September 2, 2026

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Investigation open
- Date: September 2, 2026, 17:17 local (22:17 UTC)
- Place: West Branch, IA · on the black top road
- Coordinates: 41.698422, -91.415863
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.6984&lon=-91.4159&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: 1 uninjured
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA Des Moines FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 203739
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN26LA309
- Latest NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/203739/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA309

## 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: [Mooney M20E, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md?model=5870212), [All aircraft, 804 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N55GA](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N55GA), registered now, S/N 541 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20E
- Registry model: [Mooney M20E](https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20e) (registry code 5870212) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming I0360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (registry code 41515, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 541
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Operator: 52 Whiskey LLC
- Registered owner: 52 Whiskey LLC

## Weather

- METAR: KDSM 022054Z 20012G17KT 10SM FEW110 FEW150 FEW250 35/21 A2988 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT N SLP107


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.

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