CEN14CA125
2014-01-28 · Aurora, Colorado, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
Loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection.
Factual narrative
The pilot and pilot-rated passenger reported that while in cruise flight, both engines experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot selected an open field and conducted a forced landing. Due to rough terrain, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot stated that the reason for the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion, as he did not verify fuel quantity prior to departure. The pilot requested his local fixed base operator to fill his main fuel tanks, which did not occur. The pilot stated that he should not have assumed the fueling had occurred. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot and pilot-rated passenger reported that while in cruise flight, both engines experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot selected an open field and conducted a forced landing. Due to rough terrain, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot stated that the reason for the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion, as he did not verify fuel quantity prior to departure. The pilot requested his local fixed base operator to fill his main fuel tanks, which did not occur. The pilot stated that he should not have assumed the fueling had occurred. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.
- C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Forgotten action/omission-Pilot - C
- C Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Fuel system-(general)-Incorrect use/operation - C
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2014_CEN14CA125.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
Search this event elsewhere
External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.
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Related research
Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (fuel exhaustion). All research papers
- AOPA Air Safety Institute 2023 · Safety advisor Safety Advisor: Fuel Awareness
AOPA Air Safety Institute safety advisor on preventing fuel-exhaustion and fuel-starvation accidents in general aviation. Covers pre-flight fuel planning, reserve requirements (14 CFR 91.151, 91.167),…
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Abstract U.S. Civil Rotorcraft Accidents, 1963 through 1997
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recorded 8,436 rotorcraft accidents during the period mid - 1963 through the end of 1997.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Contractor Report (CR) A study of carburetor/induction system icing in general aviation accidents
An assessment of the frequency and severity of carburetor/induction icing in general-aviation accidents was performed. The available literature and accident data from the National Transportation Safet…
- NASA NTRS 2018 · Other Parachuting to Safety
NASA's Langley Research Center awarded Ballistic Recovery Systems, Inc., three Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts to research and develop a new, low cost, lightweight recovery system …