Empty Fuel Tank Likely Cause Of Wichita Plane Crash

Federal aviation investigators believe an empty fuel tank perhaps caused a rented single-engine plane to crash in March on a Wichita, Kansas, golf course, slightly injuring two people aboard.

The Wichita Eagle reports the National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report Friday involving the March 18 crash at Tallgrass Country Club.

The NTSB says the plane was being piloted by a 17-year-old, with an 18 -year-old passenger on board, when its engine lost power and crashed, narrowly missing nearby homes.

The report says a Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the airplane reported finding no fuel in the left fuel tank but some in the right tank. A switch used to toggle from one gas tank to the next was turned off.

The plane's occupants sustained minor injuries.