Piper PA 24 accident near Loda, Illinois, June 4, 2016
On June 4, 2016 at about 1:00 am local time, a 1958 Piper PA 24, registered N5376P, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Loda, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to properly calculate the fuel consumption rate and to properly monitor the fuel status in flight, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing, runway excursion, and impact with a fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 2016 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Loda, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 24 250, built 1958 · all PA 24s on the register
- Registration
- N5376P · registry record · serial 24-426
- 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 while at cruise on a cross country flight the engine experienced a total loss of power and he switched fuel tanks. The airplane restarted, and then a total loss of power occurred again. The pilot was forced to land the airplane on a private grass airstrip. During the landing roll the left main landing gear impacted a low spot in the ground, veered off the runway to the left and impacted a fence with the left wing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. A postaccident examination revealed that the right and left fuel tanks were empty, and no fuel leaks could be identified. Fuel Management The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Foundation has published Safety Advisor SA16-01/05 Fuel Awareness (2005). This document discusses recommendations regarding fuel management for pilots and states in part: 1. Know How Much Fuel You Have - The first step in knowing how much fuel you have is to think of fuel not in gallons or pounds but hours and minutes. The Air Safety Foundation recommends that pilots of unfamiliar airplanes add one or two gallons per hour to their computed fuel consumption until they see how much that airplane actually burns. 2. Know Your Airplane's Fuel System - Pilots must also be familiar with and proficient in operating the fuel system on their airplanes. 3. Know What's in Your Fuel Tanks - Pilots must ensure their airplane contains the proper grade of uncontaminated fuel. 4. Update Your Fuel Status Regularly During Flight - It's good to do thorough preflight planning but, once in the air, things can change. Winds are rarely exactly as forecast and weather deviations add miles and minutes to your trip. The Air Safety Foundation recommends that pilots evaluate their fuel status each hour. 5. Always Land with Adequate Reserve Fuel - Aviation regulations require different fuel reserves for different operations. The Air Safety Foundation recommends that pilots never land with less than one hour of fuel in the tanks. That way all the regulatory reserve requirements are met and exceeded by at least 15 minutes.
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
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring equip/instruments › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,168 hours in all; 216 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 6,542 as pilot in command; 4,058 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 30, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,312.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 5, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1A (piston); 1,346 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EWK Newton KS at 9:41 pm
- Destination: 50I Kentland IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 12:55 pm from KTIP, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N5376P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.