On April 10, 1985, a Beech C23 (registration N9243S) was involved in an aviation accident near San Antonio, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to ensure adequate fuel supply for the flight, as evidenced by his admission to FAA investigators that he 'just ran out of fuel.'. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aircraft departed Stuttgart, Arkansas with full tanks but ran out of fuel five hours later. The pilot made an emergency landing near San Antonio and admitted to investigators that he simply ran out of fuel.
What happened
The aircraft departed from Stuttgart Municipal Airport (KSGT) in Arkansas at 12:50 Central Standard Time with full fuel tanks on board. Approximately five hours and eight minutes after takeoff, the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing near his intended destination of San Antonio, Texas. The incident occurred due to fuel exhaustion.
The investigation
Following the event, Federal Aviation Administration investigators interviewed the pilot. During this interview, the pilot explicitly admitted that he had simply run out of fuel. A subsequent mechanical examination of the aircraft revealed no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction that could have contributed to the loss of power.
Findings
The primary factor in this incident was the depletion of usable fuel during flight. The pilot acknowledged responsibility for the situation, stating directly that he ran out of fuel. No mechanical issues were identified with the aircraft systems.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to ensure adequate fuel supply for the flight, as evidenced by his admission to FAA investigators that he 'just ran out of fuel.'