# Accident 20210628011049A: Piper PA-28-180, Jackson, TN, June 28, 2021 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 28, 2021, 16:50 local time - Place: Jackson, TN - Airport: Mckellar Sipes Reginal Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Maneuver - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 35.5904° N, 89.1007° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.5904&lon=-89.1007&mi=10 - Aircraft: N818TF, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N818TF-2022-07-30) (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 PA-28-180 - Reported engine: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Student - Pilot flight hours: 28 total, 28 in this make and model, 18 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA21LA273](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA273) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210628011049A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE ACCIDENT INVOLVING N818TF, A PIPER CHEROKEE 180, OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 2148Z (1648 LOCAL) ON JUNE 28, 2021. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT LOCATION LATITUDE 35.590358 NORTH/LONGITUDE 89.100681 WEST. LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 10.5 MILES WEST OF MCKELLAR SIPES REGIONAL AIRPORT (MKL) NEAR JACKSON, TN. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WITH MINOR INJURIES TO THE SOLE OCCUPANT. N818TF WAS BEING PILOTED BY A STUDENT PILOT WITH A TOTAL OF 28 HOURS OF ACCUMULATIVE FLIGHT INSTRUCTION. EIGHT OF THE 28 TOTAL HOURS WERE CONDUCTED AS SOLO TRAINING. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ON AN AUTHORIZED SOLO TRAINING FLIGHT IN ACCORDANCE WITH A PART 61 TRAINING CURRICULUM. A REVIEW OF THE PILOTS LOGBOOK AND STUDENT RECORDS PROVIDED BY THE FLIGHT SCHOOL INDICATED ALL PRE-SOLO REQUIREMENTS AUTHORIZING THE STUDENT PILOT TO OPERATE THE AIRCRAFT UNDER SOLO TRAINING WERE MET. THE STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED RUNWAY 20 AT MKL TO THE WEST AT 2055Z (1555 LOCAL) AS INDICATED FROM THE RECORDED AUDIO TAKEOFF CLEARANCE PROVIDED BY THE MKL TOWER MANAGER. AT 2147Z (1647 LOCAL) THE STUDENT PILOT ADVISED THE TOWER CONTROLLER THAT HE WAS EXPERIENCING LOW RPM?S AT FULL POWER. AT 2148Z (1648 LOCAL) THE STUDENT PILOT ADVISED THE TOWER CONTROLLER THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE THE FIELD AND GAVE A POSITION REPORT. THAT WAS THE LAST RADIO TRANSMISSION THE STUDENT PILOT MADE TO THE MKL TOWER CONTROLLER. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA AT AN APPROXIMATE 70 DEGREE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WITH THE NOSE AND LEFT OUTBOARD WING LEADING EDGE MAKING CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT ATTITUDE WAS BEING HELD SUSPENDED IN THE VEGETATION. FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED IMPACT DAMAGE TO BOTH WINGS, PROPELLER, ENGINE, FIREWALL, AND FUSELAGE. ALL AIRCRAFT CONTROL SURFACES AND MAJOR COMPONENTS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR AT THE SCENE. INSPECTION OF THE PROPELLER INDICATED MINIMAL ROTATION AT THE TIME IF IMPACT. A SLIGHT AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS SEEN DRIPPING FROM BETWEEN THE FILLER NECK AND FUEL CAP OF THE LEFT FUEL TANK. NO POST-IMPACT FIRE OCCURRED. AFTER SECURING THE AIRCRAFT BACK ONTO THE LANDING GEAR AND OUT OF THE VEGETATION, AN INSPECTION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS CONDUCTED. BOTH FUEL TANKS APPEARED TO BE INTACT. APPROXIMATELY 15 GALLONS OF 100LL WAS RECOVERED FROM THE LEFT FUEL TANK. THE RIGHT FUEL TANK APPEARED TO HAVE NO TRACE OF FUEL. THE POWER AND MIXTURE CONTROL WERE FOUND IN THE FULL FORWARD POSITION. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND IN THE RIGHT TANK POSITION. THE MAIN FUEL LINE GOING TO THE CARBURETOR FROM THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP CONTAINED ONLY A TRACE AMOUNT OF FUEL. INDICATION OF THE HOBBS METER INSTALLED IN THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR OF TIME SINCE THE LAST RECORDED OPERATION. IT WAS STATED BY THE STUDENT PILOT DURING A POST-ACCIDENT INTERVIEW, THAT HE NEVER SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM THE RIGHT TANK POSITION DURING THE ENTIRETY OF THE FLIGHT. ## 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 ERA21LA273](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA273), Jun 28, 2021: Piper PA-28-180 (N818TF), Woodland, TN, substantial damage. Probable cause: The student pilot’s inadequate monitoring of his fuel state during a solo training flight, which resulted in fuel starvation, a total loss of engine power, and a forced landing. 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.