Cessna 337C accident near Stillwater, Oklahoma, March 27, 2009
On March 27, 2009 at about 1:30 am local time, a Cessna 337C, registered N373E, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Stillwater, Oklahoma. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of dual engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel planning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 2009 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Stillwater, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 337C · all 337Cs on the register
- Registration
- N373E · no longer on the register · serial 337-0937
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses reported that the airplane departed a private airstrip and the engine or engines were running "rough or misfiring" before the engines "went silent" and the airplane impacted a ravine. The on-site examination of the airplane found that the left auxiliary and main fuel tanks contained about three gallons of fuel each, and that the right auxiliary and main fuel tanks contained less than a gallon total. The position of the fuel valves prior to impact could not be determined. The front fuel strainer/gascolator was found submerged and filled with water and the rear strainer/gascolator was found empty. The airframe and engine examinations did not reveal any abnormalities that would have prevented normal operation. Witnesses reported that the pilot was flying to another airport to refuel the airplane.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during initial climb defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 23,620 hours in all
- Last flight review: September 19, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,169 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 22, 2008
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cont Motor IO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor IO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Stillwater OK
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 050° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.