Siai-Marchetti SF260 accident near Napa, California, January 30, 2000
On January 30, 2000 at about 10:36 pm local time, a Siai-Marchetti SF260, registered N65FD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Napa, California (Napa airport). It was a business 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
Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate en route fuel consumption calculations.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 30, 2000 · about 10:36 pm local time
- Place
- Napa, California · Napa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Siai-Marchetti SF260 · all SF260s on the register
- Registration
- N65FD · registry record · serial 723
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot planned a nonstop flight from Phoenix, Arizona, to Napa, California. Approaching Napa, he realized that his airplane was low on fuel, but he did not so advise control tower personnel. The pilot entered the traffic pattern and while on base leg experienced fuel exhaustion. Unable to glide to the airport, the airplane came to rest in a rough field about 300 yards short of the runway.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 698 hours in all; 37 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days; 596 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,025 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1999; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,430 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-E4A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PHX Phoenix AZ at 4:20 pm
- Destination: APC CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18R, 5,931 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 135°F (57°C), dew point 115°F (46°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:54 pm from APC, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 LAX00LA085.