A private pilot, Berringer was in control of a 1946 Piper Cub over Raymond, Nebraska, when the aircraft went down in an alfalfa field. The National Transportation Safety Board ruled that the probable cause of the crash was a partially closed fuel valve, resulting in fuel starvation, engine failure, and a subsequent loss of control of the airplane.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation, the probable cause of the crash was a partially closed fuel valve, which caused the engine to run out of fuel, leading to its failure and ultimately, the loss of control by the pilot.