# Accident 19990609036859A: Piper PA28181, Auburn, AL, June 9, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 9, 1999, 10:10 local time
- Place: Auburn, AL
- Airport: Auburn-Opelika G Pitts Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.5894° N, 85.4801° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.5894&lon=-85.4801&mi=10
- Aircraft: N983DB, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N983DB-1999-11-15) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-181 (registry code 7102807, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28181
- Reported engine: LYC O360A4M
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 100 total, 15 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA99LA170](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA170) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990609036859A

## Narrative

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

(-23) AIRCRAFT N983DB DEPARTED LAKELAND, FL ON 06/09/99. AIRCRAFT MADE ONE STOP IN VALDOSTA, GA AND THEN CONTINUED ON TO AUBURN/OPELIKA, AL, APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES SOUTH OF AUBURN/OPELIKA AIRPORT THE PILOT REPORTED ENGINE TROUBLE AND THAT HE MAY BE OUT OF FUEL.  SOON AFTER THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE COULD NOT MAKE TH FIELD AND WOULD ATTEMPT AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING.  AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A FIELD 4-5 MILES SOUTH OF AUBURN/OPELIKA AIRPORT.  PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES, AIRCRAFT WAS DEMOLISHED.  (.4) AT AN ALTITUDE OF BETWEEN 1,500 AND 3,000 FEET THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE LOST COMPLETE POWER.  THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN A FIELD, AND STRUCK THE GROUND WITH THE RIGHT WING.  THE WING SEPARATED, THE AIRPLANE CARTWHEELED, AND CAME TO REST RIGHT SIDE UP.  SEVERAL PILOT'S HEARD THE PILOT ON THE AUBURN UNICOM FREQUENCY, SAY THAT HE WAS '...IN DISTRESS, HE WAS EXPERIENCING ENGINE TROUBLE, AND THOUGHT HE MIGHT BE OUT OF FUEL.'  EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE'S FUEL TANKS REVEALED ABOUT 8 OUNCES OF FUEL IN THE LEFT WING, NO FUEL IN THE RIGHT FUEL TANK, AND THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF SPILLED FUEL IN THE ACCIDENT AREA.  THE HOBBS METER READING WAS 12.4 HOURS WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST FUELED.  THE H OBBS METER READING AFTER THE ACCIDENT WAS 16.2 HOURS, FOR A TOTAL OF 3.8 HOURS TOTAL HOBBS TIME SINCE THE LAST REFUELING. THE USABLE FUEL FOR THIS AIRPLANE WAS 48 GALLONS.  THE CALCULATED BURN-RATE FOR THIS FLIGHT WAS 12.63 GALLONS OF FUEL PER HOUR.  A BURN RATE OF 12.63 GALLONS PER HOUR, TIMES 3.8 HOURS, EQUALS 47.99 GALLONS OF FUEL USED.  EXAMINATION OF THE CARBURETOR FUEL SCREEN REVEALED THAT IT WAS CLEAN AND FREE OF DEBRIS.

## 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 MIA99LA170](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA170), Jun 9, 1999: Piper PA-28-181 (N983DB), Auburn, AL, destroyed. Probable cause: The pilot' failure to refuel the airplane prior 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.

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