Piper PA-28-140 accident near Guthrie, Oklahoma, October 16, 2011
On October 16, 2011 at about 8:38 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N6085W, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Guthrie, Oklahoma. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed, 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 16, 2011 · about 8:38 pm local time
- Place
- Guthrie, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed, 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N6085W · no longer on the register · serial 28-20099
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was fueled to capacity and flew for 3 hours and 15 minutes to its destination, where it was not refueled. Two days later, the airplane flew for 3 additional hours. During that flight, a passenger said that he heard the pilot say that they were low on fuel. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost power and the airplane collided with power lines and impacted a storage shed in a residential area. The airplane was equipped with two 25-gallon fuel tanks (50 gallons total, of which 48 gallons were useable). The airplane had been aloft for about 6 hours, 13 minutes. Depending on the power setting, the airplane would have burned between 38 and 52 gallons for the two flights.
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 enroute (descent)
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (descent) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during enroute (descent)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 884 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 835 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 21, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,553 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 2, 2011; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K3M0 Lakeview AR at 5:30 pm
- Destination: KGOK Guthrie OK
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KGOK, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.