What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4) The flight departed and was uneventful until about 20 miles from the destination airport when the engine lost power. The engine was restarted and the pilot was advised of two alternate landing airports, but the pilot continued toward the planned destination. The engine quit several more times, once while directly overhead an airport. Unable to land at the destination airport, while descending for a forced landing, the airplane collided with a tree. About 3/4 to 1 cup and 1 cup of fuel were drained from the left and right fuel tanks respectively. The airplane was over gross at takeoff, but within weight and balance at the time of the accident. An open circuit of the left fuel tank transmitter was noted, but no determination was made as to the reason. The estimated time en route per the flight plan was 2 hours 5 minutes, but calculated post accident to be 3 hours 48 minutes. The actual time takeoff-to-landing was 3 hours 34 minutes. Based on the postaccident calculations, the total fuel consumption for the flight was about 37 gallons, with the flight departing with an estimated 38 gallons. (-23) on December 25, 1997, about 2335 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28 -151, N9514K, registered to tar heel aviation, inc., operating as a title 14 CFR part 91, personal flight crashed 2 miles east of Columbia, south carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged. The commercial pilot and three passengers were not injured. The flight had originated from chesapeake, Virginia, about 3 hours 30 minutes before the accident. The pilot was in contact with Columbia air traffic control (ATC) and advised them that he was out of fuel. The pilot attempted a forced landing in a wooded area, and separated one of the wings during the landing.
As the FAA filed it
(.4) THE FLIGHT DEPARTED AND WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL ABOUT 20 MILES FROM THE DESTINATION AIRPORT WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE ENGINE WAS RESTARTED AND THE PILOT WAS ADVISED OF TWO ALTERNATE LANDING AIRPORTS, BUT THE PILOT CONTINUED TOWARD THE PLANNED DESTINATION. THE ENGINE QUIT SEVERAL MORE TIMES, ONCE WHILE DIRECTLY OVERHEAD AN AIRPORT. UNABLE TO LAND AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, WHILE DESCENDING FOR A FORCED LANDING, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A TREE. ABOUT 3/4 TO 1 CUP AND 1 CUP OF FUEL WERE DRAINED FROM THE LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL TANKS RESPECTIVELY. THE AIRPLANE WAS OVER GROSS AT TAKEOFF, BUT WITHIN WEIGHT AND BALANCE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. AN OPEN CIRCUIT OF THE LEFT FUEL TANK TRANSMITTER WAS NOTED, BUT NO DETERMINATION WAS MADE AS TO THE REASON. THE ESTIMATED TIME EN ROUTE PER THE FLIGHT PLAN WAS 2 HOURS 5 MINUTES, BUT CALCULATED POST ACCIDENT TO BE 3 HOURS 48 MINUTES. THE ACTUAL TIME TAKEOFF-TO-LANDING WAS 3 HOURS 34 MINUTES. BASED ON THE POSTACCIDENT CALCULATIONS, THE TOTAL FUEL CONSUMPTION FOR THE FLIGHT WAS ABOUT 37 GALLONS, WITH THE FLIGHT DEPARTING WITH AN ESTIMATED 38 GALLONS. (-23) ON DECEMBER 25, 1997, ABOUT 2335 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28 -151, N9514K, REGISTERED TO TAR HEEL AVIATION, INC., OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, PERSONAL FLIGHT CRASHED 2 MILES EAST OF COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED FROM CHESAPEAKE, VIRGINIA, ABOUT 3 HOURS 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT WAS IN CONTACT WITH COLUMBIA AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) AND ADVISED THEM THAT HE WAS OUT OF FUEL. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A FORCED LANDING IN A WOODED AREA, AND SEPARATED ONE OF THE WINGS DURING THE LANDING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.