Sukhoi SU-26 accident near Tucson, Arizona, March 14, 2005
On March 14, 2005 at about 8:35 pm local time, a Sukhoi SU-26, registered N226PS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tucson, Arizona. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning and fuel consumption calculations, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 14, 2005 · about 8:35 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Sukhoi SU-26 · all SU-26s on the register
- Registration
- N226PS · no longer on the register · serial 06-10
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane nosed over during a forced landing in a field following a loss of engine power. The airplane was equipped with one fuel tank, which held approximately 15.8 gallons of fuel, or about 30 minutes duration. While the pilot was performing aerobatic maneuvers, the engine lost power and he force landed the airplane in a field. Emergency response personnel did not see or smell fuel at the accident scene. Approximately 1 quart of fuel was drained from the fuel tank. The engine was successfully test-run with no operational anomalies noted.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 3,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 443.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 7, 2004; 56 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Vedeneyez M-14 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AVQ Tucson AZ at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.77 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from KTUS, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 LAX05LA115.