# Accident 19981226042479A: Piper PA28180, Knoxville, TN, December 26, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 26, 1998, 14:36 local time - Place: Knoxville, TN - Airport: Mc Ghee Tyson - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Final Approach-IFR - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 35.8111° N, 83.9941° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at MC GHEE TYSON (TYS), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.8111&lon=-83.9941&mi=10 - Aircraft: N32679, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N32679-2017-03-10) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28-180 (registry code 7102808, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA28180 - Reported engine: LYC O360A4M - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 798 total, 182 in this make and model, 34 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA99LA058](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA058) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981226042479A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON DECEMBER 26, 1998, ABOUT 1436 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28-180, N32679, REGISTERED TO JKJ AVIATION LLC, CRASHED WHILE MAKING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, AT KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, WHILE ON A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM ORLANDO, FLORIDA, THE SAME DAY, ABOUT 0954. WHILE APPROACHING TO LAND AT MCGHEE-TYSON AIRPORT, KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, THE PILOT REPORTED TO FAA AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS THAT HE WAS LOW ON FUEL. A SHORT TIME LATER THE PILOT REPORTED THE ENGINE HAD QUIT. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ABOUT 1 MILE NORTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY AN FAA INSPECTOR SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT CONTAINED NO USABLE FUEL AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF PRECRASH OR POSTCRASH FUEL LEAKAGE FROM THE AIRCRAFT. (.4) WHILE APPROACHING HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT, THE PILOT SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANK, BELIEVING HE HAD 40 MINUTES OF FUEL REMAINING IN EACH TANK. ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER, THE FU EL PRESSURE DROPPED AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT SWITCHED BACK TO LEFT FUEL TANK AND THE ENGINE RESTARTED. THE PILOT ASKED FOR PRIORITY HANDLING FROM ATC AND AS HE APPROACHED THE AIRPORT, THE ENGINE QUIT. HE MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. POST CRASH EXAMINATION SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT CONTAINED NO USABLE FUEL AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKAGE FROM THE AIRCRAFT IN FLIGHT OR AFTER THE ACCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF PRECRASH MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE CARBURETOR THROAT DID HAVE DARK STAINING CONSISTENT WITH OPERATING WITH A RICH FUEL MIXTURE. THE PILOT STATED THE FLIGHT DEPARTED WITH 48 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE FLIGHT HAD FLOWN 4.7 HOURS SINCE DEPARTURE AT THE TIME OF ENGINE FAILURE, INDICATING A FUEL CONSUMPTION OF ABOUT 10.1 GALLONS OF FUEL PER HOUR. THE PILOT STATED THE ENGINE NORMALLY CONSUMED 9 GALLONS OF FUEL PER HOUR AND HE LEANS THE FUEL MIXTURE IN CRUISE FLIGHT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MANUFACTURERS PROCEDURES. (-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ORLANDO, FL (ORL) IFR TO KNOXVILLE, TN (TYS). TOTAL FLIGHT TIME 4:39. ENGINE FAILED AND A/C CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE EAST OF TYS. NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL ON BOARD. ## 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 MIA99LA058](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA058), Dec 26, 1998: Piper PA-28-180 (N32679), Knoxville, TN, substantial damage. Probable cause: The engines excessive fuel consumption for undetermined reasons and the pilot's failure to plan the flight with adequate fuel reserves resulting in engine failure due to 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. --- 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.