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GAA15CA261

2015-09-13 · Lexington, Nebraska, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's improper fuel planning which resulted in fuel exhaustion, and loss of engine power. Additionally, the pilot's failure to maintain pitch control during the emergency landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that he exhausted all the fuel in both of the fuel tanks prior to reaching his destination, and was forced to maneuver for an emergency landing in a hay field. The pilot reported that after he lost sight of the hay bales that lined the field, he decided to "slightly pull up." Subsequently, the airplane aerodynamically stalled and the right wing impacted the ground. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that he exhausted all the fuel in both of the fuel tanks prior to reaching his destination, and was forced to maneuver for an emergency landing in a hay field. The pilot reported that after he lost sight of the hay bales that lined the field, he decided to "slightly pull up." Subsequently, the airplane aerodynamically stalled and the right wing impacted the ground. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. 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 Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Capability exceeded - C
  • C Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Fluid level - C
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-(general)-Effect on operation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2015_GAA15CA261.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

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