Siai-Marchetti S.205/22R accident near Fruitvale, Texas, November 5, 2010
On November 5, 2010 at about 3:10 am local time, a Siai-Marchetti S.205/22R, registered N971WA, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Fruitvale, Texas. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel planning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 5, 2010 · about 3:10 am local time
- Place
- Fruitvale, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Siai-Marchetti S.205/22R · all S.205/22Rs on the register
- Registration
- N971WA · no longer on the register · serial 380
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was serviced with 14 gallons of fuel (the gauges registered three-quarters full) prior to departure, and the pilot flew to another airport where 20 gallons of fuel were added. The pilot then returned to his home base, where the airplane was serviced with another 24 gallons of fuel. The pilot flew back to the same airport but did not refuel there. While en route back to his home airport at night, the engine lost power. The pilot made a forced landing, during which the airplane collided with a power line and trees. The pilot said that he ran out of fuel and that the airplane burned more fuel than he anticipated.
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 emergency descent
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 336 hours in all; 295 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 268 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 24, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,542 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2010; 117 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,976 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Freddiemac Aviation, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: DTO Denton TX at 2:10 am
- Destination: SHV Shreveport LA
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN11LA061.