Amateur-built DSA-1 accident near Union, Nebraska, June 19, 2022
On June 19, 2022 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 1963 amateur-built DSA-1, registered N208C, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Union, Nebraska. 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 inadequate fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 2022 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Union, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DSA-1, built 1963 · all DSA-1s on the register
- Registration
- N208C · no longer on the register · serial GY-DSA-100
- 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, while in cruise flight about 1,000 ft above ground level, the engine began running rough. The pilot subsequently made a forced landing into a wooded area, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. Postaccident examination revealed that no fuel was present in the fuel line from the engine-driven pump to the carburetor. The carburetor bowl was completely dry, and the fuel tank was empty when viewed with a borescope. No anomalies were observed with the fuel cap vent, filler neck, carburetor, engine cylinders, magnetos, or the engine’s mechanical continuity. Based on the available evidence, it is likely that the airplane’s fuel supply was exhausted due to the pilot’s inadequate fuel planning, leading to a loss of engine power and forced landing. The airplane was not equipped with a fuel quantity gauge, which likely contributed to the pilot’s lack of awareness of the airplane’s low fuel state.
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
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 1, 2022
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 378 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 21, 2021
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MLE Omaha NE at 3:00 pm
- Destination: MLE Omaha NE
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 13 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.08 inHg
- Observation at 10:35 am from KPMV, 8 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KPMV 191535Z AUTO 14013G17KT 10SM CLR 28/23 A3008 RMK AO2 T02750225 PWINO
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 November 8, 2023. 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, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos of Airplane at Accident Site | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Aircraft Examination Information | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 CEN22LA260.