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GAA15CA022

2015-03-17 · New Market, Indiana, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport CFJ

Current FAA registration · N900TM

Make / Model
BEECH A36
Year of manufacture
1978 · 37 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR IO 520 SERIES (285 hp)
Seats / Engines
6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19780614
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AC70E1

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's improper fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, and a loss of engine power en-route.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that the airplane was being ferried for maintenance of its fuel system. About 15 minutes into the flight, the pilot reported that he intentionally emptied the right main fuel tank to facilitate maintenance at the destination airport. Subsequently, the airplane lost engine power and he maneuvered the airplane for landing in an open field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right rear wing spar. According to a Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector who examined the airplane at the accident site, the fuel tanks were found void of fuel. The right tip tank had some fuel, but no usable fuel. The pilot reported that the airplane was being ferried for maintenance of its fuel system. About 15 minutes into the flight, the pilot reported that he intentionally emptied the right main fuel tank to facilitate maintenance at the destination airport. Subsequently, the airplane lost engine power and he maneuvered the airplane for landing in an open field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right rear wing spar. According to a Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector who examined the airplane at the accident site, the fuel tanks were found void of fuel. The right tip tank had some fuel, but no usable fuel. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-Fuel planning-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Fluid level - C
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Fuel system-Fuel pumps-Not serviced/maintained

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2015_GAA15CA022.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, maintenance). All research papers