Probable cause
The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection and fuel planning, and improper in-flight decision making which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
NTSB analysis
After about 2.5 hours of cross-country night flight, the engine lost all power near an airport where the pilot planned to refuel. The pilot stated that he thought that he ran out of fuel and executed a forced landing to a vegetated field about 1 mile from the airport. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and front of the fuselage.
Examination of the airplane did not reveal any mechanical anomalies with the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The left-wing tank was found dry and the right fuel tank was found with about 1 inch of unusable fuel at the accident site. The fuel selector switch was found in the left fuel tank position. The pilot did not know how much fuel was onboard the airplane at the time of departure and had delayed refueling the airplane due to the price of fuel.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN22LA343 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Jul 21, 2022
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Zena, Oklahoma
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Night
Beech E33A
- N-number
- N7555N
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1968
- 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.