Cessna 140 accident near Archer City, Texas, July 21, 1994
On July 21, 1994 at about 8:55 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N2260V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Archer City, Texas. It was a business 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
FUEL CONTAMINATION INDUCED POWER LOSS. FACTORS WERE THE IMPROPER REFUELING TECHNIQUES USED BY THE PILOT AND THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN ONTO WHICH A FORCED LANDING COULD BE EXECUTED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 1994 · about 8:55 pm local time
- Place
- Archer City, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N2260V · registry record · serial 14491
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON INITIAL CLIMB, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND ULTIMATELY EXPERIENCED A TOTAL POWER LOSS AT APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET AGL. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRPLANE IN A SOFT FIELD; THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. SOIL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE SAME TYPE OF SOIL WAS ALSO FOUND IN THE OPEN CONTAINERS THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD RECENTLY BEEN REFUELED FROM.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,812 hours in all; 310 in this make and model; 1,742 as pilot in command; 70 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,309 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 17, 1993; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: 21F Jacksboro TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°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.