Varga Aircraft CORP. 2150A accident near Green Lake, Wisconsin, July 27, 2023
On July 27, 2023 at about 5:33 pm local time, a 1985 Varga Aircraft CORP. 2150A, registered N5601G, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Green Lake, Wisconsin. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted from the pilot’s inadequate preflight planning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2023 · about 5:33 pm local time · cases in 2023
- Place
- Green Lake, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Varga Aircraft CORP. 2150A, built 1985 · all 2150As on the register
- Registration
- N5601G · registry record · serial VAC189-85
- 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 was flying the airplane to the annual Experimental Aircraft Association Airventure fly-in at the Wittman Regional Airport (OSH), Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and was proceeding as prescribed in the Notices to Air Missions (NOTAM) pertaining to arrivals to the airport. He stated that the airplane’s engine lost power and he activated the auxiliary fuel pump, which restored engine power briefly. The engine again lost power and the pilot executed a forced landing to a corn field. The airplane nosed over during the landing and incurred substantial damage to the fuselage and vertical tail. Postaccident examination revealed no smell of fuel at the accident site and no evidence of a fuel spill. No usable quantity of fuel was found within the fuel tanks and the tanks were not breached. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Automatic dependent surveillance - broadcast (ADS-B) data revealed that the flight lasted about 3.6 hours. According to the airplane operations manual, the maximum flight duration at normal cruise was about 3.9 hours without reserve, but was predicated on using a lean mixture setting. Based on the available information, it is likely that the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level other cases naming the fuel system
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,817 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SBN South Bend IN at 12:55 pm
- Destination: OSH Oshkosh WI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from KOSH, 18 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KOSH 271753Z 19009KT 150V220 10SM CLR 31/23 A2994 RMK AO2 SLP123 T03060233 10306 20217 58013
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on April 18, 2024. 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 | Record of Conversation with Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Aircraft Examination Notes | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Conversation (FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | ADS-B Data | map file | Download |
| 6 | Excerpt from Airplane Operations Manual | 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.
Other NTSB records under N5601G the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N5601G on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Varga Aircraft Corp. 2150 86 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 27,303 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- South Bend International · departed from
- Wittman Regional · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Wisconsin 1,622 since 1982 · 225 in the last ten years
- Wisconsin 6,161 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N5601G 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN23LA329.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.