# Accident 19960113000429A: Piper PA28140, Hallam, NE, January 13, 1996 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 13, 1996, 19:47 local time - Place: Hallam, NE - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 40.5307° N, 96.7790° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.5307&lon=-96.7790&mi=10 - Aircraft: N98254, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N98254-2020-09-04) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28-140 (registry code 7102802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA28140 - Reported engine: LYC O320E2A - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 3 - Pilot flight hours: 139 total, 33 in this make and model, 2 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI96FA073](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI96FA073) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960113000429A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON JANUARY 13, 1996, AT ABOUT 1947 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME (CST), A PIPER PA-28-140, N98254, REGISTERED TO J AND D AIRCRAFT SERVICE, INC., OF WAHOO, NEBRASKA, WAS DESTROYED WHEN THE AIRPLANE STRUCK POWERLINES DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM LOVE FIELD, DALLAS, TEXAS, AT 1544 CST. A WITNESS AT ASSOCIATED AIR CENTER, LOVE FIELD, DALLAS, TEXAS, REPORTED THE AIRPLANE ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT TWO DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. SHE SAID THE PILOT PURCHASED 42 GALLONS OF FUEL AND TOLD THE LINE PERSON THAT THEY MADE GREAT TIME DOWN FROM WAHOO, NEBRASKA, DUE TO THE TAILWIND THEY ENCOUNTERED. THE LINE SUPERVISOR SAID HE ATTEMPTED TO PARK THE AIRPLANE USING UNIVERSALLY RECOGNIZED HAND SIGNALS, BUT THE PILOT DID NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THESE SIGNALS AND PARKED THE AIRPLANE DIFFERENTLY THAN INTENDED. THERE WAS NO FLIGHT PLAN ON FILE FOR THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT; HOWEVER, THE PILOT DID UTILIZE VFR FLIGHT FOLLOW ING. WHILE EN ROUTE, THE PILOT DID CONTACT SILERHAWK AVIATION IN CRETE, NEBRASKA, INQUIRING ABOUT FUEL AVAILABILITY. THE PILOT LATER WAS HEARD OVER AN AVIATION SCANNER AT BEATRICE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, LOCATED IN BEATRICE, NEBRASKA, ON CRETE AIRPORT UNICOM FREQUENCY STATING THAT HE WAS LOW ON FUEL. A SHORT TIME LATER THE PILOT REPORTED OVER CRETE AIRPORT UNICOM FREQUENCY THAT HE WAS OUT OF FUEL AND INTENDED TO PERFORM AN OFF-FIELD LANDING NEAR SHELDON POWER STATION, HALLAM, NEBRASKA. A POLICE OFFICER INTERVIEWED THE PILOT'S WIFE AND STATED THAT SHE SAID THE PILOT "...HAD LEFT AT THREE THIRTY P.M. ON 011396, FROM DALLAS AND THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO STOP AND REFUEL BEFORE ARRIVING IN LINCOLN... ." (.4) THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED DALLAS, TEXAS AT 1544 CST WITH A GROSS WEIGHT OF 2,382.3 POUNDS. THE MAXIMUM CERTIFIED GROSS WEIGHT WAS 2,081 POUNDS. ABOUT 4 HOURS AND 15 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT TRANSMITTED ON A UNICOM FREQUENCY THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS LOW ON FUEL. A SHORT TIME LATER, HE REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS OUT OF FUEL AND HE INTENDED TO PERFORM AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING. DURING A NIGHT FORCED LANDING, THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED POWERLINES, THEN IMPACTED THE TERRAIN. A TOTAL OF 30 OUNCES OF FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE AIRPLANE FUEL SYSTEM AFTER THE ACCIDENT. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CHI96FA073](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI96FA073), Jan 14, 1996: Piper PA-28-140 (N98254), Hallam, NE, destroyed, 3 fatal. Probable cause: improper planning/decision by the pilot, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, due to an inadequate supply of fuel. Darkness was a related factor. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.