Colonial C 1 accident near Chico, Texas, July 5, 2015
On July 5, 2015 at about 11:15 pm local time, a 1956 Colonial C 1, registered N257B, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Chico, Texas (Bridgeport Muni 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
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the unsnapped fuel bladder, which resulted in an inaccurate fuel quantity indication, and the pilot's inadequate preflight fuel planning, during which he relied solely on the fuel gauges to determine the amount of fuel on board.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2015 · about 11:15 pm local time · cases in 2015
- Place
- Chico, Texas · Bridgeport Muni · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Colonial C 1, built 1956 · all C 1s on the register
- Registration
- N257B · no longer on the register · serial 17
- 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 had flown the airplane about 8 to 10 times after its most recent fueling and that he intended to fly to the destination airport to refuel the airplane. Before departure, the fuel quantity gauge indicated that the fuel tank was about 3/8 full of fuel. About 5 minutes after departure, the engine experienced a loss of power, so the pilot conducted a forced landing in a field, during which the airplane landed hard. A postaccident examination revealed that the fuel bladder tank was collapsed, and a small amount of unmeasured fuel was observed. The fuel system remained intact, and there was no evidence of a fuel spill at the accident site. The engine operated normally when the fuel trapped in the tank was freed by rocking the wings. It is likely that the small amount of fuel in the fuel tank was unusable during the flight and was insufficient to reach the engine. The pilot stated that the fuel bladder had become unsnapped from the wing, which allowed the fuel quantity transmitter to indicate a false reading. However, the pilot did not conduct adequate preflight fuel planning to ensure there was sufficient fuel on board because he relied solely on the fuel gauges.
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
- Fuel related during enroute
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during enroute
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level other cases naming the fuel system
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel indication system › Malfunction other cases naming the fuel system
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel storage › Malfunction other cases naming the fuel system
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,996 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,890 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 15, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 989 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 20, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 1,621 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: XBP Bridgeport TX at 11:10 pm
- Destination: 0F2 Bowie TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,004 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 11:15 pm from KXBP, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on November 23, 2015. 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 | Correspondence - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | 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
- N257B: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Colonial C-1 8 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Colonial 14 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 27,305 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Bridgeport Municipal · nearest airport
- Bowie Municipal · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,061 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,986 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN15LA296.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.