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).
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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 October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 2008 · about 3:30 pm local time
- 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 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DFW08CA214.