Piper PA-32-260 accident near Hancock, Minnesota, September 29, 2021
On September 29, 2021 at about 4:15 pm local time, a 1965 Piper PA-32-260, registered N130GH, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Hancock, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power as a result of fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to properly manage the fuel on board the airplane and his failure to perform an adequate preflight inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 29, 2021 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Hancock, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260, built 1965 · all PA-32-260s on the register
- Registration
- N130GH · registry record · serial 32-124
- 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 before he departed for a cross country flight, he asked the fuel servicing personnel to fill the left fuel tank. While enroute and burning fuel only from the left tank, the airplane lost all engine power and the pilot executed a forced landing into a field, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. During a post-accident inspection, the left fuel tank was found to be empty. The pilot stated that he assumed all of his fuel tanks were full at the time of departure but did not confirm the fuel level by looking in the tanks or at the fuel gauges. He also stated that his failure to verify the fuel quantity resulted in a fuel exhaustion event when the 6.6 gallons of fuel in the left main tank were consumed. He did not use fuel from the right tank during the flight.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 586.6 hours in all; 217 in this make and model; 528.2 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 25, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,530 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 2, 2020; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 4,530 hours total
- Operator: Brad Influence LLP
The flight
- Departed from: Y63 Elbow Lake MN at 4:00 pm
- Destination: KBBB Benson MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 11:15 am from KMOX, 8 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KMOX 291615Z AUTO 16008KT 10SM CLR 24/13 A2992 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 CEN21LA461.