Jabiru J230-SP accident near Center, Texas, November 18, 2018
On November 18, 2018 at about 7:15 pm local time, a 2008 Jabiru J230-SP, registered N667J, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Center, Texas. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper preflight fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 2018 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Center, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Jabiru J230-SP, built 2008
- Registration
- N667J · registry record · serial 574
- 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, before departure, he noted that a NOTAM stated that fuel was not available at the airport where he had landed and had planned to refuel but that he felt he had sufficient fuel onboard to continue to another airport to get fuel if necessary. He assessed his fuel quantity and departed the airport, and subsequently, the engine lost power. He pitched the nose down, and the engine regained power, but the pilot realized that the fuel supply was almost exhausted. He attempted to maintain power and altitude but eventually chose to land in a field. He selected a touchdown point and circled to land, but the airplane did not complete the turn before he had to level the wings. The airplane touched down gently but overran the intended landing area, collided with a drainage culvert, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the composite fuselage and windscreen.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during enroute
- 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
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Understanding/comprehension › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel storage › Related operating info
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 196 hours in all; 149 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 151 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 30, 2017
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 490 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jabiru 3300A (piston); 490 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3F3 Mansfield LA at 7:00 pm
- Destination: F17 Center TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from F17
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.
Other NTSB records under N667J the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number GAA19CA067.