What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Fuel depletion at night. Crashed into Everglades. Failed to lean. Failed refuel enroute. Endangered life another. (.19) on December 22, 1997, about 1847 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-180C, N9640J, registered to a private partnership, operated by interstate aircraft services, as a 14 CFR 91 personal flight, crashed into a mangrove in the Florida Everglades. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and the private-rated pilot was receiving flight following from miami center. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, and the pilot and passenger suffered minor injuries. The flight originated from cook county airport, adel, Georgia, a reported 3 hours 20 minutes before the accident and the intended destination was marathon, Florida. Initial notification of the accident reported the pilot radioed that he was "low on fuel" followed shortly with a call that he was "out of fuel". The pilot made a forced landing into salt water mangrove trees on an island named "un-named island" about 6 miles south of the Everglades city airport. The owner of the aircraft said the pilot ahd made the same trip with this aircraft recently, but that he had refueled at the naples airport on that occasion. The owner also mentioned his estimate of the pilot's take-off time from cook county airport to be about 1445, or approximately 4 hours 2 minutes before the accident.(-23) flight from adel, GA. To marathon, FL. Flew between 9.500 and 10,700 MSL. Did not stop to refuel. Depended on fuel guages and ran out of fuel short of intended destination. Crashed into swamp at night, with one passenger on board. Both sustained very minor injuries and were rescued by us park rangers, with assistance from miami ARTCC, the civilian pilots, sheriffs dept and us coast guard. Pilot states that both fuel gauges indicated 1/4 full when engine quit.
As the FAA filed it
FUEL DEPLETION AT NIGHT. CRASHED INTO EVERGLADES. FAILED TO LEAN. FAILED REFUEL ENROUTE. ENDANGERED LIFE ANOTHER. (.19) ON DECEMBER 22, 1997, ABOUT 1847 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28-180C, N9640J, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, OPERATED BY INTERSTATE AIRCRAFT SERVICES, AS A 14 CFR 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED INTO A MANGROVE IN THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT WAS RECEIVING FLIGHT FOLLOWING FROM MIAMI CENTER. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM COOK COUNTY AIRPORT, ADEL, GEORGIA, A REPORTED 3 HOURS 20 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT AND THE INTENDED DESTINATION WAS MARATHON, FLORIDA. INITIAL NOTIFICATION OF THE ACCIDENT REPORTED THE PILOT RADIOED THAT HE WAS "LOW ON FUEL" FOLLOWED SHORTLY WITH A CALL THAT HE WAS "OUT OF FUEL". THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING INTO SALT WATER MANGROVE TREES ON AN ISLAND NAMED "UN-NAMED ISLAND" ABOUT 6 MILES SOUTH OF THE EVERGLADES CITY AIRPORT. THE OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT SAID THE PILOT AHD MADE THE SAME TRIP WITH THIS AIRCRAFT RECENTLY, BUT THAT HE HAD REFUELED AT THE NAPLES AIRPORT ON THAT OCCASION. THE OWNER ALSO MENTIONED HIS ESTIMATE OF THE PILOT'S TAKE-OFF TIME FROM COOK COUNTY AIRPORT TO BE ABOUT 1445, OR APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS 2 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.(-23) FLIGHT FROM ADEL, GA. TO MARATHON, FL. FLEW BETWEEN 9.500 AND 10,700 MSL. DID NOT STOP TO REFUEL. DEPENDED ON FUEL GUAGES AND RAN OUT OF FUEL SHORT OF INTENDED DESTINATION. CRASHED INTO SWAMP AT NIGHT, WITH ONE PASSENGER ON BOARD. BOTH SUSTAINED VERY MINOR INJURIES AND WERE RESCUED BY US PARK RANGERS, WITH ASSISTANCE FROM MIAMI ARTCC, THE CIVILIAN PILOTS, SHERIFFS DEPT AND US COAST GUARD. PILOT STATES THAT BOTH FUEL GAUGES INDICATED 1/4 FULL WHEN ENGINE QUIT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N9640J · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.