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FTW89LA157

1989-09-02 · DALLAS, Texas, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport RBD

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

PILOT'S FAILURE TO ACCURATELY CALCULATE THE NECESARY FUEL FOR THE FLIGHT AND ASSURE THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN REFUELED TO PROVIDE THAT QUANTITY.

Factual narrative

THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ON A SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM GRAND PRAIRIE TO TYLER & RETURN. AFTER INITIALLY DEPARTING GRAND PRAIRIE THE PILOT HAD PROBLEMS OPERATING THE RADIOS & RETURNED. HE AGAIN DEPARTED GRAND PRAIRIE, WITHOUT REFUELING, FOR TYLER. ON THE RETURN TRIP FROM TYLER THE PILOT BECAME LOST, AND THE ENGINE EVENTUALLY QUIT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A FIELD & THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDE WITH TREES & NOSED INTO A GULLY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT REFUELED AT TYLER. THE AIRCRAFT HAD OPERATED 4.1 HRS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_FTW89LA157.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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