Piper PA28-140 accident near Red Oak, Iowa, September 5, 2020
On September 5, 2020 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1972 Piper PA28-140, registered N2875T, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Red Oak, Iowa. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 5, 2020 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Red Oak, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28-140, built 1972 · all PA28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N2875T · no longer on the register · serial 28-7225260
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was located in a field following a forced landing. There was no useable fuel aboard and a postaccident examination of the engine and fuel system revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The accident is consistent with the pilot mis-management of the fuel onboard, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
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 exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Fuel exhaustion during emergency descent
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,304 hours in all; 1,304 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 4, 2019
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: unkn
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,886.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2020
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Valparaiso IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from RDK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 10, 2022. 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 | Letter to Pilot for Form 6120.1 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Examination | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum - Wreckage Information | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Log | 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.
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.