Cessna 206 N5033U

Summary

On 2 August 2015 at about 15:00 local time, a Cessna 206 registered N5033U was involved in an accident near Pecos, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 August 2015 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Pecos, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Pecos Muni (PEQ)

Coordinates

31.3825, -103.5108

Aircraft

Cessna 206

Registration

N5033U

Category

Airplane

Year built

1963

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pecos → Pecos

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN15LA366

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate preflight fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot was participating in a cantaloupe bombing run being conducted in conjunction with a local fly-in. The pilot reported that he performed a preflight inspection of the airplane and then proceeded to take off. He added that, after turning onto the base leg of the traffic pattern, the engine lost power and that he subsequently landed the airplane short of the airport in mesquite trees. Examination of the airplane revealed that the tanks contained no fuel, and no fuel could be drained from either wing or the fuselage sump drains. The fuel tanks and lines were not compromised. Based on the evidence, it is likely that the pilot did not ensure that adequate fuel was onboard the airplane during the preflight inspection, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the subsequent loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.