# Accident 20150204000819A: Piper PA-18-150, Gladys, VA, February 4, 2015

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 4, 2015, 16:44 local time
- Place: Gladys, VA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Location: 37.1417° N, 78.9694° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.1417&lon=-78.9694&mi=10
- Aircraft: N619GB (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-18-150
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 5,130 total, 110 in this make and model, 50 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA15CA120](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15CA120) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150204000819A

## Narrative

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

AFTER TAKING OFF FROM BROOKNEAL AIRPORT (0V4), AND WHILE RETURNING TO LYNCHBURG (LYH) AT ABOUT 1,000 FT AGL, THE ENGINE STARTED SURGING.  PILOT SELECTED A SUITABLE FIELD TO LAND, BUT AS THE ENGINE STARTED PRODUCING POWER AGAIN, THE PILOT ELECTED TO RETURN TO BROOKNEAL 4 MILES AWAY.  AS THE ENGINE STOPPED AGAIN AND WITH NO ALTITUDE LEFT, THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO THE TREES.  A POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE STOPPED DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION

## 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 ERA15CA120](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15CA120), Feb 4, 2015: Piper PA 18-150 (N619GB), Brookneal, VA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The flight instructor and pilot-rated student's inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power 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.

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