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).
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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 25, 2023 · about 2:20 am local time · cases in 2023
- Place
- Mulino, Oregon · Mulino State · cases near this airport · 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 other cases naming the fuel system
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 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on June 7, 2023. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Fuel Consumption Rate Chart | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Email of Fuel Tank from Law Enforcement Officer | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N8500Z on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Aircraft Mfg & Development Co CH 2000 38 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-nc2 6,132 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Mulino State Airport · nearest airport
- Sutter County · departed from
- Fairways Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Oregon 1,864 since 1982 · 279 in the last ten years
- Oregon 7,008 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR23LA115.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.