Aircraft Mfg & Development CO CH 2000 accident near Mulino, Oregon, February 25, 2023
On February 25, 2023 at about 2:20 am local time, a 2002 Aircraft Mfg & Development CO CH 2000, registered N8500Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Mulino, Oregon (Mulino State airport). 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 fuel planning which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 25, 2023 · about 2:20 am local time
- Place
- Mulino, Oregon · Mulino State · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aircraft Mfg & Development CO CH 2000, built 2002 · all CH 2000s on the register
- Registration
- N8500Z · registry record · serial 20-1003
- 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, he departed with 28 gallons of fuel onboard for a cross-country flight and he used 100% power during the flight. The flight was uneventful for a little over four hours, until the pilot was approaching his destination and the engine began to run rough and sputter. The pilot was unable to reach a nearby airport and force-landed the airplane in an open field where the nose landing gear collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage. The pilot and a law enforcement examined the fuel tank and discovered that the fuel tank was empty. Fuel usage computations indicated the engine likely consumed all the fuel onboard while operating at 100% power. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute (descent)
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (descent) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 504 hours in all; 410 in this make and model; 460 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,692 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-nc2 (piston); 3,366 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O52 Yuba City CA at 10:30 pm
- Destination: OG20 Oregon City OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,425 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 360° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KUAO, 8 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KUAO 250253Z AUTO 36009KT 10SM CLR M01/M09 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP181 T10111089 53008
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.
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 WPR23LA115.