Cessna TP206C N8670Z accident near Versailles, Kentucky

Probable cause

The pilot’s mismanagement of the airplane’s available fuel supply, which resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent total loss of engine power.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was on a multi-stop cross country flight, and after fueling the airplane, had departed for the next leg of the trip. While in cruise flight at an altitude of 11,500 ft msl, the pilot felt an engine vibration, and despite activating the alternate air, the vibration did not improve. He requested radar vectors from air traffic control to a nearby airport, and while descending through 3,500 ft, the engine lost power completely. The pilot then switched from the right to the left fuel tank, activated the fuel boost pump, and unsuccessfully attempted to restart the engine. He subsequently performed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane’s horizontal stabilizer was substantially damaged. Following the accident, the pilot realized that the quantity of fuel available in the left tank was less than that tank’s unusable amount. With the right fuel tank selected, the engine was started and run with no anomalies noted. Based on this information, the loss of engine power that occurred during the accident flight was most likely the result of fuel starvation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA25LA274 for the full record.