Bellanca 14-19-2 accident near Keller, Texas, August 24, 2008
On August 24, 2008 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Bellanca 14-19-2, registered N7653B, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Keller, Texas. It was a personal 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 pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane which resulted in an attempted takeoff without fuel present in the selected fuel tank.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 2008 · about 3:30 pm local time · cases in 2008
- Place
- Keller, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 14-19-2 · all 14-19-2s on the register
- Registration
- N7653B · registry record · serial 4004
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the takeoff roll, the airplane experienced a loss of engine power. The private pilot aborted the takeoff, locked up the brakes, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot and passenger were able to egress unassisted. After the accident, the pilot checked the selected left fuel tank, and found the tank to be empty. The fuel tanks had been previously filled, the airplane was flown seven days prior, and the pilot expected the left tank to be full. The pilot reported that the fuel must have been stolen prior to his flight. In addition, the pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented if he had visually confirmed that fuel was present in the left tank.
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 takeoff
- Loss of engine power (total) during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 534 hours in all; 124 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 534 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,258.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2008
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Continental O-470-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7TX4 Keller TX
- Destination: DUC Duncan OK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N7653B on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Bellanca 14 282 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Bellanca 2,699 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Teledyne Continental O-470-K 13 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Hillcrest Airport · departed from
- Halliburton Field · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,061 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,985 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/DFW08CA214.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.