diff --git a/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md b/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
index c3b2d157f36de1e2043c5f151218b9b060ad3ebd..bd86dfb88eef85213bbfd8be5b56c7aaaf79b16d 100644
--- a/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+*   Descriptive error message when fixtures contain a missing column.
+
+    Closes #21201.
+
+    *Yves Senn*
+
 *   `ActiveRecord::Tasks::PostgreSQLDatabaseTasks` fail if shellout to
     postgresql commands (like `pg_dump`) is not successful.
 
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/database_statements.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/database_statements.rb
index 38dd9578fe075d03b7d75a9b3ff4a5215826dc14..1e13b248673478bbbaf4246645f0706930d2d4ec 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/database_statements.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/database_statements.rb
@@ -289,8 +289,12 @@ def insert_fixture(fixture, table_name)
         columns = schema_cache.columns_hash(table_name)
 
         binds = fixture.map do |name, value|
-          type = lookup_cast_type_from_column(columns[name])
-          Relation::QueryAttribute.new(name, value, type)
+          if column = columns[name]
+            type = lookup_cast_type_from_column(column)
+            Relation::QueryAttribute.new(name, value, type)
+          else
+            raise Fixture::FixtureError, %(table "#{table_name}" has no column named "#{name}".)
+          end
         end
         key_list = fixture.keys.map { |name| quote_column_name(name) }
         value_list = prepare_binds_for_database(binds).map do |value|
diff --git a/activerecord/test/cases/fixtures_test.rb b/activerecord/test/cases/fixtures_test.rb
index 03a187ae925ae07817e9e7f408612534c4131202..76ea950fb11123b19d93fec8c564becfe8732054 100644
--- a/activerecord/test/cases/fixtures_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/cases/fixtures_test.rb
@@ -217,6 +217,13 @@ def test_dirty_dirty_yaml_file
     end
   end
 
+  def test_yaml_file_with_invalid_column
+    e = assert_raise(ActiveRecord::Fixture::FixtureError) do
+      ActiveRecord::FixtureSet.create_fixtures(FIXTURES_ROOT + "/naked/yml", "parrots")
+    end
+    assert_equal(%(table "parrots" has no column named "arrr".), e.message)
+  end
+
   def test_omap_fixtures
     assert_nothing_raised do
       fixtures = ActiveRecord::FixtureSet.new(Account.connection, 'categories', Category, FIXTURES_ROOT + "/categories_ordered")
diff --git a/activerecord/test/fixtures/naked/yml/parrots.yml b/activerecord/test/fixtures/naked/yml/parrots.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..3e10331105159035ea189061ca5ef215fefc046e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/activerecord/test/fixtures/naked/yml/parrots.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+george:
+  arrr: "Curious George"