Bellanca 14-19 accident near North Platte, Nebraska, August 2, 1999
On August 2, 1999 at about 5:59 am local time, a Bellanca 14-19, registered N8509R, was substantially damaged in an accident near North Platte, Nebraska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper inflight planning decision which resulted in fuel exhaustion. A factor associated with the accident was the dark night conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 1999 · about 5:59 am local time
- Place
- North Platte, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 14-19 · all 14-19s on the register
- Registration
- N8509R · no longer on the register · serial 4279
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot received a weather briefing prior to departing Oshkosh which forecast possible severe weather over western Nebraska. He then departed for North Platte to spend the night with relatives where he could assess the weather for the remainder of the flight. He reported his ground speed increased during the flight; however, he was concerned about fuel. The pilot continued the flight to his destination, and as he began to set up for the landing approach, the engine 'quit because of no fuel.' The pilot switched tanks and was able to get the engine to run momentarily prior to it losing power again. During the dark night forced landing, the airplane contacted the ground, bounced, struck the ground and came to rest.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,151 hours in all; 337 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 6,480 as pilot in command; 3,706 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,298 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 6, 1999; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OSH Oshkosh WI
- Destination: LBF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,600 ft; scat at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:14 am from LBF
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.