Amateur-built CH 750 accident near Montgomery City, Missouri, September 16, 2020
On September 16, 2020 at about 5:53 pm local time, a 2017 amateur-built CH 750, registered N4744M, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Montgomery City, Missouri. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate fuel management and flight planning, which led to a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a forced landing into rough terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 2020 · about 5:53 pm local time
- Place
- Montgomery City, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CH 750, built 2017
- Registration
- N4744M · registry record · serial 75-8874
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, the airplane was fueled with 22-23 gallons of fuel before he departed, and the airplane’s fuel consumption rate was about 6 gallons of fuel per hour. He had been airborne about 4 hours and was approaching his destination when the engine sputtered and lost total power. The pilot made a forced landing into rough terrain and the airplane nosed over. Examination of the airplane revealed minimal fuel was onboard, with no leaks of the fuel system. No preimpact anomalies were observed during examination of the engine. The pilot’s preflight planning notes indicated he considered a fuel stop prior to the destination. After the accident, the pilot stated that the onboard fuel quantity indicating system was unreliable and a fuel stop may have been warranted. The pilot’s decision to proceed to the destination without a fuel stop likely resulted in a total loss of engine power due to exhaustion of usable fuel.
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 approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: gyroplane
- Flight time: 836 hours in all; 69 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 747 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 25, 2019
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 84 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, February 7, 2020; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,440 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 84 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CEY Murray KY at 2:58 pm
- Destination: MYJ Mexico MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from KCOU, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 3, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Flight Notes | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos of Airplane at Accident Site | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Examination by Mechanic | PDF, 4 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.