Probable cause
The pilot's decision to operate the airplane without the owner’s permission and his lack of preflight planning, which resulted a total loss of engine power due fuel exhaustion.
NTSB analysis
The private pilot was conducting a cross-country flight in the airplane without the owner's permission. While en route, the pilot reported to air traffic controllers that the engine had lost power and that he did not think he would be able to glide to the destination airport. He also said that it was dark and that he could not see anything below him. The pilot made a forced landing in a field 6.9 miles east of his destination, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. No fuel was found in the fuel tanks.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN16LA018 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Oct 12, 2015
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Waskom, Texas
- Nearest airport
- Harrison County (KASL)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Night, dark
Diamond DA20-C1
- N-number
- N165DC
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 2004
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.