Quartz Mountain Aerospace INC 11E accident near Earlham, Iowa, October 1, 2025
On October 1, 2025 at about 11:15 pm local time, a 2008 Quartz Mountain Aerospace INC 11E, registered N516BW, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Earlham, Iowa (Winterset Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s inadequate fuel management which resulted in the 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
- October 1, 2025 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Earlham, Iowa · Winterset Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Quartz Mountain Aerospace INC 11E, built 2008 · all 11Es on the register
- Registration
- N516BW · no longer on the register · serial 1007
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that he and student departed about 1345 on a local flight to practice instrument approaches. About 1700, while returning to the destination airport and crossing the initial approach fix for a practice instrument approach, the left fuel tank indicator showed empty, and the right tank indicated about ¼ full (about 5 gallons remaining). About 6 miles from the runway, they felt a reduction in power, and the student announced the engine had lost power. The flight instructor took the controls and maneuvered the airplane to perform a forced landing to a field. They attempted to restart the engine, but the restart was not successful. During the forced landing, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot estimated the total flight time was 3 hours and 15 minutes. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to empennage, and the fuel line to the fuel pump inlet did not contain any fuel. During recovery, a few ounces were found in the fuel system. The fuel tanks did not appear to be compromised, and fuel seepage from the wings was not detected on the ground. The flight instructor reported that throughout the flight, the student properly leaned the engine during cruise, and the fuel flow indicator showed about 6 gallons an hour average consumption during those times. The RPMs read about 2,100 to 2,200, and the indicated airspeed was just over 100 knots. The airplane’s fuel capacity was 40 gallons, and prior to departure, the airplane’s fuel tanks were full. The installed engine was derated to 185-horsepower. Engine performance charts showed that at 195-horsepower, fuel consumption could be approximately 15.8 gallons per hour. At 75% power (about 157-horsepower), fuel consumption was about 12.6 gallons per hour. However, precise flight information was not available to confirm total fuel consumption for the accident 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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,879 hours in all; 18.2 in this make and model; 112.5 in the last 90 days; 37.6 in the last 30 days; 1,778.7 as pilot in command; 1,473.9 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 15, 2024
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 134.8 hours in all; 12.8 in this make and model; 28.3 in the last 90 days; 22.2 in the last 30 days; 89.3 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 5, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 766.2 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, September 25, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 2,280 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-ES8B (piston); 766 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3Y3 Winterset IA at 7:45 pm
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; a few clouds at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from KDSM, 21 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KDSM 012254Z 13008KT 10SM FEW075 BKN200 28/14 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP173 T02780139=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on March 13, 2026. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Findings | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Fuel Receipts | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Engine Performance Excerpt | 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.
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.