Piper PA-601B accident near Cleveland, Texas, June 26, 1989
On June 26, 1989 at about 8:00 am local time, a Piper PA-601B, registered N601MF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cleveland, Texas (Municipal airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, DUE TO FUEL STARVATION BECAUSE THE PLT MISJUDGED HIS FUEL SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION OF FUEL PER TANKS, AND AS A RESULT MISMANAGED THE SUPPLY REMAINING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 1989 · about 8:00 am local time
- Place
- Cleveland, Texas · Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-601B
- Registration
- N601MF · no longer on the register · serial 6108388162
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AIRPLANE WAS ON A REGULAR NIGHT PART 135 FLIGHT AND WAS 17 MILES FROM DESTINATION WHEN ONE ENGINE STARTED TO SURGE AND LOST POWER. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND SAID HE WAS RUNNING OUT OF FUEL. ATC VECTORED AIRPLANE TO CLOSEST AIRPORT BUT AIRPORT DID NOT HAVE BEACON LIGHTED AND PILOT WAS LOW OVER AIRPORT BEFORE HE SAW IT. THEN THE OTHER ENGINE SURGED AND THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING OFF THE AIRPORT IN HEAVY UNDERBRUSH AND ROUGH TERRAIN. INSPECTION REVEALED AIRPLANE HAD 23 GALLONS OF FUEL IN RIGHT WING, 3 GALLONS IN FUSELAGE TANK, AND ZERO FUEL IN LEFT TANK. PLT SAID AFTER THE ACC HE DECIDED NOT TO CROSS FEED BECAUSE HE THOUGHT THE FUSELAGE TANK HAD ENOUGH FUEL.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,624 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 322 in the last 90 days; 78 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command; 966 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,056 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 14, 1989; 58 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BTR Baton Rouge LA at 7:00 am
- Destination: CXO Conroe TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 120° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.