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CEN24LA370

2024-09-26 · Muskogee, Oklahoma, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Current FAA registration · N6548Z

Make / Model
PIPER PA-25-235
Year of manufacture
1962 · 62 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES (250 hp)
Seats / Engines
1 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20140315
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A89F1E

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s inattention to refueling during turn-around operations which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

Factual narrative

The pilot was returning from his third aerial application flight of the day when the engine sputtered and lost all power. While attempting to land, the left wing collided with trees and the airplane cartwheeled. The wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tank contained no fuel. The fuel system was intact, and no leaks were noted. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He reported that he reloaded chemicals and but forgot to refuel the airplane. He stated he spent about 10 minutes on the ground before the accident flight and that he could have slowed down and given more attention to refueling. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Fluid level
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Tree(s)-Contributed to outcome
  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Lack of action-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2024_CEN24LA370.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.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (fuel exhaustion). All research papers