Air Tractor Inc AT-301 N23647 accident near Wheatland, Wyoming

Probable cause

A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and the pilot's inadequate fuel planning.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that he departed for the agricultural aerial application flight with enough fuel to fly for about 1 hour 45 minutes. However, about 45 minutes into the flight, he noticed that the fuel gauges were indicating a low-fuel condition. He disregarded the gauges and continued his flight because he believed he had adequate fuel to complete the flight. A short time later, the engine lost power, and during the forced landing, the airplane impacted an irrigation ditch. Postaccident examination revealed about 1 gallon of fuel in each wing tank and no evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation. Further, no evidence of fuel staining streaks or other indications of fuel leakage were found on the airplane. It is likely that the pilot overestimated the amount of fuel onboard the airplane at the beginning of the flight and that the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR13LA248 for the full record.