World Aircraft CO SPIRIT accident near Granbury, Texas, August 7, 2015
On August 7, 2015 at about 4:40 pm local time, a 2011 World Aircraft CO SPIRIT, registered N65XT, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Granbury, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to use the fuel boost pump following the loss of engine power and the fuel system’s inadequate design, which did not allow for equalization of fuel between the fuel tanks and led to a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 2015 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- Granbury, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- World Aircraft CO SPIRIT, built 2011 · all SPIRITs on the register
- Registration
- N65XT · registry record · serial AA041115041
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight. The pilot reported that, when the airplane was about 4 miles from the airport, he made a series of prolonged left turns at cruise altitude to allow another airplane that was in the area to land at the airport. After making the left turns, the engine experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot performed a forced landing on a tall grass field after being unable to restart the engine. The pilot was unable to slow the airplane with full application of wheel brakes due to the tall grass, and the airplane impacted a barbed wire fence and then came to rest. Examination of the wreckage showed that the fuel system design did not allow for the equalization of fuel between the fuel tanks, which led to the engine being starved of fuel following the sustained left turns. The pilot did not use the fuel boost pump while troubleshooting the loss of engine power, which would have provided a positive fuel flow/pressure to the engine and resolved the fuel starvation condition. Following the postaccident examination of the airplane, the airplane manufacturer modified the fuel system to allow for the equalization of fuel between the fuel tanks.
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 starvation during maneuvering defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel pumps › Not used/operated
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel distribution › Design
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 766 hours in all; 55 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 766 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 145.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 4, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 288 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CWC Wichita Falls TX at 3:30 pm
- Destination: 0TX1 Granbury TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from GDJ, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.