# Accident 19971225039479A: Piper PA28151, Columbia, SC, December 25, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 25, 1997, 23:38 local time
- Place: Columbia, SC
- Airport: Columbia Metropolitan
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.9399° N, 81.1507° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.9399&lon=-81.1507&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9514K, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9514K-1999-03-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-151 (registry code 7102805, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-151) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28151
- Reported engine: LYC O320E3D
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 422 total, 20 in this make and model, 54 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA98LA046](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA046) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971225039479A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.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.

## 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 MIA98LA046](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA046), Dec 26, 1997: Piper PA-28-151 (N9514K), Columbia, SC, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate preflight planning, and his poor in-flight decision making.

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.

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