Bellanca 1730 accident near San Saba, Texas, October 5, 2020
On October 5, 2020 at about 5:20 pm local time, a 1969 Bellanca 1730, registered N7333V, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near San Saba, Texas (San Saba County Muni airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s improper decision-making, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 2020 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- San Saba, Texas · San Saba County Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 1730 A, built 1969
- Registration
- N7333V · registry record · serial 30190
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector that he was in cruise flight when he ran out of fuel in the right fuel tank and the airplane’s engine lost all power. He attempted to get the engine restarted but could not. The student pilot subsequently performed a forced landing to a highway about a half a mile east of his intended destination airport. During the forced landing, one wing sustained substantial damage to the spar. The student pilot reported to the inspector that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The student pilot did not provide an NTSB Form 6120.1 Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report.
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
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Student/instructed pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 0 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KTPL Temple TX at 5:50 pm
- Destination: KMAF Midland TX
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 31, 4,205 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 1:35 pm from KAQO, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN21LA050.