Jabiru JABIRU - SP accident near Surprise, Arizona, April 4, 2015
On April 4, 2015 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 2007 Jabiru JABIRU - SP, registered N593J, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Surprise, Arizona (Glendale Muni airport). It was a personal 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 inadequate fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 4, 2015 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Surprise, Arizona · Glendale Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Jabiru JABIRU - SP SP, built 2007
- Registration
- N593J · no longer on the register · serial 413
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated he was landing at a dirt airstrip near his residence when his engine quit while maneuvering at a low altitude. He landed the airplane in a field, perpendicular to the field's furrows, resulting in the airplane coming to rest on its nose and sustaining damage to the propeller and nose landing gear, and substantial damage to the right wing. According to the FAA air safety inspector, no fuel was found in the wing fuel tanks during a post-accident examination. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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 maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, sport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: gyroplane
- Flight time: 10,312 hours in all; 266 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 9,756 as pilot in command; 1,989 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 28, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 312 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jabiru 3300 (piston); 312 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KGEU Glendale AZ at 9:00 pm
- Destination: Surprise AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 8:48 pm from KGEU, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on May 26, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo 1 – Right Wing (Photo Courtesy Surprise Az Pd) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 2 – Right Wing Spar Damage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.