Piper AEROSTAR 600A accident near Wichita, Kansas, July 2, 2021
On July 2, 2021, a 1980 Piper AEROSTAR 600A, registered N10HK, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Wichita, Kansas. 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 pilot’s improper fuel planning and management, which 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
- July 2, 2021
- Place
- Wichita, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper AEROSTAR 600A NO SERIES, built 1980 · all AEROSTAR 600As on the register
- Registration
- N10HK · no longer on the register · serial 6007158061222
- 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 in the multiengine airplane when, about 8 miles north of the intended destination, the right engine began “sputtering and popping,” and he shut it down and feathered the propeller. Shortly thereafter, the left engine began “slowly spooling down” and the airplane was not able to maintain airspeed and altitude. The pilot performed a forced landing to a flat, muddy wheat field, resulting in substantial damage. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. There was no evidence of fuel at the accident site or in the airplane. During the recovery of the airplane from the field, no fuel was found in the three intact fuel tanks nor in any of the engine fuel lines. The pilot later stated that he ran the airplane out of 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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during approach
- Off-field or emergency landing during approach
- Collision during takeoff/land during approach
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring equip/instruments › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 420 hours in all; 95 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 47 in the last 30 days; 340 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 28, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,744.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 6, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming Engines IO-540-K1J5 (piston); 2,812 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming Engines IO-540-K1J5 (piston); 2,812 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FSD Sioux Falls SD at 10:23 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 3 knots
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from KAAO, 3 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KAAO 012354Z AUTO 02003KT FEW036 26/20 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP147 60000 T02610200 10289 20244 57006
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on October 13, 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 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Various Statements | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Fuel Receipts | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 12 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.