Cessna 140 accident near Burlington, Wisconsin, June 29, 2011
On June 29, 2011 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N2332V, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Burlington, Wisconsin (Burlington Municipal Airport). It was a personal 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
The improper installation of the fuel selector indicator handle, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 2011 · about 7:30 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Burlington, Wisconsin · Burlington Municipal Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N2332V · registry record · serial 14568
- 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 departed with the fuel selector set to the right fuel tank, which was full of fuel. About 30 minutes after departure, he made a touch-and-go landing and takeoff at his destination airport. During the initial climb, the engine started to lose power when the airplane was about 100 feet above the runway. The pilot entered a left turn and attempted to land on an adjacent grass runway, but the airplane impacted the terrain short of the runway. Postaccident examination of the airplane’s fuel system revealed that the left fuel tank was empty and the right fuel tank was full of fuel. Examination of the airplane’s fuel selector revealed that the fuel selector indicator handle was improperly installed. When the fuel selector indicator handle was placed in the right fuel tank position, the fuel was actually coming from the left fuel tank. There was no record in the airplane’s maintenance logbook that indicated replacement of the fuel selector valve, the fuel selector indicator handle, or the fuel selector placard. It was not determined who performed the maintenance on the fuel selector and had improperly installed the fuel selector indicator handle.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb
- Fuel starvation during initial climb defining event
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel selector/shutoff valve › Incorrect service/maintenance other cases naming the fuel system
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Repair › Other/unknown
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: September 15, 2008
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,748 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 3, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ENW Kenosha WI at 7:00 pm
- Destination: BUU Burlington WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 2,410 ft by 130 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 9:15 pm from BUU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on April 2, 2012. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Interview - Heinrich Knauz | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Interview - Louis Bevaqua | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Record of Phone Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Cessna 140 Fuel System Information | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Diagram of Fuel Selector Valve Settings | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 1: Photo of Fuel Selector Placards | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photo 2: Photo of Fuel Tank Selector Handle on the Right Tank | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Photo 3: Photo of Left Fuel Tank Indicator | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Photo 4: Photo of Right Fuel Tank Indicator | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N2332V on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 140 1,839 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,684 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental C-90-12F 54 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Burlington Municipal · nearest airport
- Kenosha Regional · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Wisconsin 1,622 since 1982 · 228 in the last ten years
- Wisconsin 6,164 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN11LA448.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.