Socata TBM 700 accident near Alpine, Wyoming, September 28, 2025
On September 28, 2025 at about 1:25 am local time, a 2004 Socata TBM 700, registered N101NX, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Alpine, Wyoming. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection and fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent off airport landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 28, 2025 · about 1:25 am local time
- Place
- Alpine, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Socata TBM 700, built 2004 · all TBM 700s on the register
- Registration
- N101NX · no longer on the register · serial 309
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was unable to determine actual amount of fuel on board the airplane. For his fuel planning he used indicated fuel amounts from the airplane’s analog fuel gauges as the input data for an electronic fuel planner and relied on the electronic fuel planner to track how much fuel was onboard the airplane. As they approached their destination, the airplane’s CAS (crew alerting system) began to display warnings for low fuel, and the pilot prepared for an emergency off-field landing. Subsequently, the engine experienced a total loss of power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot then conducted a forced landing to an open field, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,831 hours in all; 318 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 18, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,458.3 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, August 1, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 7,394 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W Canada PT6A-64 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KGPI Kalispell MT at 4:45 pm
- Destination: 46U Alpine WY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 6:58 pm from KJAC, 32 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KJAC 280058Z 31004KT 10SM CLR 18/01 A3007=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Right side of accident airplane at accident site.
Photograph 2 – Left rear of accident airplane at accident site.The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 22, 2026. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.