Sukhoi SU-26M accident near Natchez, Mississippi, September 16, 1993
On September 16, 1993 at about 10:34 pm local time, a Sukhoi SU-26M, registered N26CY, was substantially damaged in an accident near Natchez, Mississippi. 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-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO ACCURATELY CALCULATE FUEL CONSUMPTION RESULTING IN TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION WHILE APPROACHING THE DESTINATION AIRPORT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 1993 · about 10:34 pm local time
- Place
- Natchez, Mississippi
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Sukhoi SU-26M · all SU-26Ms on the register
- Registration
- N26CY · no longer on the register · serial 0609
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION WHILE DESCENDING TO ENTER THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT AFTER 2 HOURS AND 20 MINUTES OF FLYING. THE OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT STATED THE AIRCRAFT HAD A USABLE FUEL CAPACITY OF 50 GALLONS AND CONSUMED BETWEEN 20 AND 21 GALLONS PER HOUR.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,360 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 2,286 as pilot in command; 328 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 15, 1993; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Vendeneyev M-14P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PFN Panama City FL at 8:12 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,300 ft; not recorded at 1,300 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:34 pm from HEZ, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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 MIA93LA196.