# Accident 19980124000539A: Piper PA38112, Laurens, SC, January 24, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 24, 1998, 13:07 local time
- Place: Laurens, SC
- Airport: Laurens County Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.4994° N, 82.0208° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.4994&lon=-82.0208&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2609K, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2609K-1999-04-14) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-38-112 (registry code 7103812, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-38-112) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA38112
- Reported engine: LYC O235L2C
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 320 total, 34 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL98LA040](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA040) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980124000539A

## Narrative

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

UNABLE LAND AT PLANNED FUEL STOP. SELECTED ANOTHER 34C BUT RAN OUT OF FUEL PRIOR. PULLED UP AVOID WIRES. STALLED. (-23) THE PILOT DEPARTED LYH AT ABOUT 09:30 AM AND DUE TO WEATHER ENROUTE, HE HAD TO DEVIATE FROM HIS INTENDED FLIGHT PATH. THE ENGINE QUIT AND THE PILOT LANDED IN AN APPLE ORCHARD ABOUT 4 MILES FROM THE INTENDED AIRPORT, 34A. WHILE INVESTIGATING THE ACCIDENT THERE WAS NO FUEL IN THE FUEL TANKS AND LESS THAN AN OUNCE IN THE FUEL BOWL. THE PILOT STATED IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW THAT HE RAN OUT OF FUEL.

## 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 ATL98LA040](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA040), Jan 24, 1998: Piper PA-38-112 (N2609K), Laurens, SC, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate weather evaluation that resulted in initiating flight in marginal visual conditions, and resulted in fuel exhaustion.

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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