Piper PA-28 accident near Beloit, Ohio, October 16, 2020
On October 16, 2020 at about 11:20 pm local time, a 1972 Piper PA-28, registered N15608, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Beloit, Ohio. 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 preflight inspection and inflight planning that resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 16, 2020 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Beloit, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28 140, built 1972 · all PA-28s on the register
- Registration
- N15608 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7345112
- 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 did not adequately verify the required fuel was onboard during the preflight inspection. After completing a local flight, while on approach for landing, the engine lost total power and the pilot made a forced landing that resulted in damage to the fuselage, right wing leading edge, and both ailerons. He initially assumed the cause of the engine power loss was carburetor icing. A postaccident examination revealed the fuel tanks were intact and empty. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. He added that the airplane had not been refueled after a previous flight as he had assumed and attributed his oversight during the preflight inspection to complacency and rushing.
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
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 279 hours in all; 130 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 235 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 27, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,915 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 7, 2020; 26.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 3,915 hours total
- Operator: Fluid Process Automated LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 62D Warren OH at 10:50 pm
- Destination: K3G6 Beloit OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 310° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from KCAK, 19 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 July 27, 2021. 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 | Photo of Aircraft | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Examination | 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.