Piper PA 24 accident near Charles City, Iowa, June 25, 2015
On June 25, 2015, a 1958 Piper PA 24, registered N5152P, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Charles City, Iowa (Charles City Regional airport). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate pre-flight fuel planning resulting in fuel exhaustion and a collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 2015
- Place
- Charles City, Iowa · Charles City Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 24, built 1958 · all PA 24s on the register
- Registration
- N5152P · no longer on the register · serial 24-168
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during a cross-country flight, "the airplane had a complete loss of engine power", and that he made several attempts to restart the engine that were unsuccessful. The pilot made a forced landing in a field where the airplane came to rest after impacting terrain. A post-accident inspection by Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspectors revealed that the airplane did not have any usable fuel remaining in its tanks at the time of impact, and that the fuel tanks were undamaged. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane 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 enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,032.5 hours in all; 332.6 in this make and model; 26.6 in the last 90 days; 14.1 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 12, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,288 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 6, 2014; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 5,288 hours total
- Operator: Celebrations Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 00MN Battle Lake MN at 10:00 pm
- Destination: OLZ Oelwein IA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,100 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 pm from KCCY, 2 miles away
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.
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.