# Accident 20010127002159A: Piper PA28140, Tifton, GA, January 27, 2001

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 27, 2001, 21:40 local time
- Place: Tifton, GA
- Damage: No damage
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 31.4606° N, 83.5899° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.4606&lon=-83.5899&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3978K, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3978K-2014-10-06) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-140 (registry code 7102802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28140
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA01LA065](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA01LA065) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010127002159A

## Narrative

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

(-23) PIPER PA-28-140, N3978K, ENROUTE FROM SAVANNAH, GEORGIA (SVN) TO ENTERPRISE, AL(EDN) AT 4,500 FEET AND MAGNETIC HEADING OF 270 DEGREES ON A FLIGHT FOLLOWING WITH JACKSONVILLE CENTER. AT 2135 EST STARTED EXPERIENCING LOSS OF POWER AND A DECLINING ENGINE RPM. PILOT STATES, HE (ROCKSTON THOMAS) WAS USING RIGHT WING FUEL AND SWITCHED TO LEFT WING FUEL TANK. CONTACTED JACKSONVILLE CENTER AND INFORMED THEM OF HIS LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. JACKSONVILLE CENTER DIRECTED  MR THOMAS  TOWARD A NEARBY AIRPORT (HENRY TIFT MYERS AIRPORT, TIFTON, GA) WHERE HE ATTEMPTED TO LAND BUT WAS TOO HIGH FOR INITIAL LANDING AND WAS TRYING TO GO AROUND, BUT WAS FORCED TO LAND IN A MARSHED AREA APPROX 2500 FEET SOUTH OF HIS DESIGNATED RUNWAY 15. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO A/C FUSELAGE, WINGS, ENGINE COWLING AND PROPELLER. NO VISABLE DAMAGE TO ENGINE. ENGINE OPERATION, RELATED FUEL SYSTEM AND A/C CONTROL SURFACES OPERATED NORMAL DURING POST INVESTIGATION INSPECTIONS AND TESTING. FUEL ONBOARD, WITH WING 8 GAL AND LEFT WING 25 GAL.

## 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 MIA01LA065](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA01LA065), Jan 28, 2001: Piper PA-28-140 (N3978K), Tifton, GA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to properly judge his altitude (too high) during a forced landing to a runway. The pilot made a 270-degree turn in an attempt to lose altitude resulting in a forced landing in a…

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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