American General Aircraft AG-5B accident near Tulsa, Oklahoma, June 15, 1996
On June 15, 1996 at about 4:45 am local time, a American General Aircraft AG-5B, registered N115JE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was a ferry 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 planning/decision, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and loss of engine power, due to an inadequate supply of fuel. Darkness was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 15, 1996 · about 4:45 am local time
- Place
- Tulsa, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American General Aircraft AG-5B
- Registration
- N115JE · registry record · serial 10154
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on an IFR flight to ferry the airplane from Colorado to Florida, the pilot made an unscheduled stop at Hill City, Ks. He then took off from Hill City without refueling and proceeded to the next stop at Tulsa, Ok. During a night approach to land at Tulsa, the engine lost power. The pilot executed the emergency procedures, but managed to reestablish power only momentarily. He elected to make a forced landing in an unlit city park. During the landing, the airplane collided with a chain link fence. Examination of the fuel cells revealed that the right fuel cell, which was selected during the emergency landing, was empty. At the time of the accident, the pilot had been on travel status for 18 hours.
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 single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 817 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 148 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 600 as pilot in command; 105 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 87 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 12, 1996; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HLC Sterling CO at 10:30 pm
- Destination: RVS
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 am from TUL, 10 miles away
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.