Champion 7ECA accident near Starkville, Mississippi, December 18, 2019
On December 18, 2019 at about 11:43 pm local time, a 1965 Champion 7ECA, registered N9566S, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Starkville, Mississippi (George M Bryan airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision not to visually confirm the remaining fuel onboard during the intermediate stop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 18, 2019 · about 11:43 pm local time
- Place
- Starkville, Mississippi · George M Bryan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7ECA No Series, built 1965 · all 7ECAs on the register
- Registration
- N9566S · no longer on the register · serial 377
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a cross-country flight when, after 4.5 hrs of flight and about 15 miles short of the destination, the engine lost all power. He stated that the right fuel tank quantity gauge "slammed" to empty as he maneuvered for landing following the loss of engine power and the left tank gauge was between 1/8-tank and empty. The airplane impacted trees during the forced landing and both wings separated from the fuselage. No evidence of fuel was found at the accident site; however, the wreckage was disposed of before any additional examinations could be conducted. The pilot stated that the airplane's fuel tanks were filled to capacity before departure, and that his preflight fuel planning indicated that he would reach the destination airport with about 1 hour of fuel remaining. During the flight, he made an unplanned stop at an intermediate airport after about 3 hours but opted not to add fuel based on his preflight planning and the fuel gauges, which indicated that the tanks were half full. The fuel planning figures provided by the pilot postaccident were consistent with the fuel planning data contained in the pilot's operating handbook for a more powerful engine. The combined or individual effects of headwind, inflight engine power settings, and the pilot's fuel mixture leaning practices on the actual fuel consumption of the accident flight could not be determined, thus it is not known why the airplane consumed significantly more fuel during the flight than the pilot planned, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. It is possible that the accident may have been prevented if the pilot had verified the amount of fuel onboard or added additional fuel during the intermediate stop.
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 exhaustion during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during approach
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel quantity indicator › Malfunction
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Attain/maintain not possible
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Expectation/assumption › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,742 hours in all; 45 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 4,500 as pilot in command; 2,249 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 9, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,134 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 17, 2019
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: VKS Vicksburg MS at 9:05 pm
- Destination: GTR Columbus MS
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.37 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on July 28, 2020. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Fuel Calculations | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Communication - FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Pilot Operating Handbook Extracts | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Engine Specifications | 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.
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.