- Date
- July 15, 2026, 14:59 local (18:59 UTC)
- Place
- Linneus, ME
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9758JPiper PA-28-180
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: 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
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260715008599A
- Case key
- 203417
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 inadequate preflight and in-flight monitoring of the fuel quantity, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 2
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
According to the pilot, he completed a preflight inspection but did not visually check the fuel quantity. Instead, he assumed the fuel was “at the tabs.” While completing the cockpit checklist he noted that the fuel gauges indicated about three-quarters full, but he did not check them again during the flight. After takeoff, the pilot climbed to 9,500 ft mean sea level to avoid reported turbulence below 5,000 ft. During the flight, he switched between the fuel tanks when prompted by his yoke-mounted GPS. He reported that personal matters and cellphone use distracted him. When the fuel in the right tank was depleted, he turned toward the nearest airport. The fuel in the left tank was then depleted, the engine lost power, and the pilot began an emergency descent. During the descent, the pilot identified a logging road for a forced landing. He was initially too high and made a left circling turn to line up with the road. The airplane struck trees and came to rest next to the road. The right wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9758J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-3950
- Built
- 1967
- Engine
- Lycoming, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 6B0 · Middlebury, VT
- Airport
- 85B
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 81
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 36,000 total · 250 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 9 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.53 inHg
- Observed at
- HUL, 11 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KHUL 151853Z AUTO 28009G18KT 10SM SCT080 26/09 A2953 RMK AO2 PK WND 27026/1832 SLP999 T02560089
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 1, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 485 KB 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.