Piper PA-24-250 accident near Ludington, Michigan, September 25, 1995
On September 25, 1995, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N6725P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ludington, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
fuel exhaustion resulting from the pilot's inaccurate fuel calculations and the failure to refuel the airplane prior to takeoff. An additional cause was the stall/mush during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 25, 1995
- Place
- Ludington, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N6725P · no longer on the register · serial 24-1852
- 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 'RAN OUT OF FUEL,' APPROXIMATELY SIX MILES FROM HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT. HE 'TURNED THE AIRPLANE INTO THE WIND' AND ATTEMPTED A FORCED LANDING IN A PLOWED FIELD. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE HAD TAKEN OFF KNOWING THAT HE WAS 'PROBABLY STRETCHING HIS FUEL TO REACH HIS PLANNED DESTINATION.' THE PILOT DID NOT REFUEL THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE SHOWED EVIDENCE INDICATIVE OF A HARD FLAT IMPACT. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL PRIOR TO IMPACT.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 420 hours in all; 56 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 341 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,187 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 1995; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1D5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ROC Rochester NY
- Destination: LDM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.