Probable cause
The pilot's improper decision to conduct an off-field precautionary landing.
NTSB analysis
The pilot had flown about 3 hours of a cross-country flight when he thought he was going to run out of fuel. He could not find a runway nearby, so he elected to conduct a precautionary landing on a gravel road before the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion. During the landing the airplane exited the road and went into a ditch, substantially damaging the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that it contained about 1 hour of useable fuel.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN20CA236 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Jun 19, 2020
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Martinton, Illinois
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Bellanca 1730A
- N-number
- N244HW
- Category
- Airplane
- 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.