WPR13CA245
2013-05-28 · Page, Arizona, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed
Airport KPGA
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
A loss of engine power during cruise flight due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper fuel planning.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he and four passengers were about 4.5 hours into the flight and about 10 nm from their destination when the left low boost light illuminated. About 20 seconds later the left engine quit, and the pilot feathered the propeller. After about 1 minute the right low boost light illuminated, and 20 seconds later, the right engine quit. The pilot feathered the right propeller and proceeded to execute a forced landing in the desert 5 miles east of the intended destination. During the accident sequence the right engine separated from the airplane and the left wing buckled, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot reported that the airplane had ran out of fuel, and that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot stated that he and four passengers were about 4.5 hours into the flight and about 10 nm from their destination when the left low boost light illuminated. About 20 seconds later the left engine quit, and the pilot feathered the propeller. After about 1 minute the right low boost light illuminated, and 20 seconds later, the right engine quit. The pilot feathered the right propeller and proceeded to execute a forced landing in the desert 5 miles east of the intended destination. During the accident sequence the right engine separated from the airplane and the left wing buckled, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot reported that the airplane had ran out of fuel, and that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions 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-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Monitoring equip/instruments-Pilot - C
- F Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-Fuel planning-Pilot - F
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2013_WPR13CA245.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
Search this event elsewhere
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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 …