What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The instructional flight conducted under part 61 was planned for three hours. The flight left Dekalb–Peachtree airport (pdk) at approximately 2212, enroute to rome (rmg), with a student pilot, the CFI, and an observer onboard. According to the CFI, about five takeoffs and landings were completed at rmg before returning to pdk for additional takeoff and landing training. At approximately 0022, during climb out following a touch-and-go, the engine failed at an altitude of 400 feet . The student pilot switched the fuel selector to the right tank and tried to restart the engine, which briefly turned over but did not start. The CFI attempted an emergency landing on a nearby highway and the aircraft struck trees, power lines, and a power pole, resulting in the separation of the left wing. The plane came to rest on its left side in the front yard of a house adjacent to the highway.
According to tcds 2A13 the pa 28-151 is equipped with two fuel tanks and a usable fuel capacity of 48 gallons (24 gallons per side). At the accident site recovery personnel drained approximately 10 gallons of fuel from the right fuel tank and the small fire adjacent to the breech of the left tank indicated that it contained only residual fuel. According to the chief flight instructor for privacy data omitted and a receipt he provided, the aircraft fuel tanks were topped off by signature aviation on 08/06/2025. The aircraft was next flown on 08/08/2025. The dispatch records show dispatch at 343.8 tach and 1598.1 hobbs for the first flight. Flight aware shows three flights were conducted between 1413 and 1852 local; these correspond to the dispatch records. At the conclusion of the third flight the dispatch records show a 346.0 tach and 1600.80 hobbs. The fourth flight of the day was the accident flight; at the accident site the tachometer hours were 348.2 and hobbs hours were 1603.6. The aircraft had been flown for 4.4 hours tach and 5.5 hours hobbs over the four flights.
The approximate fuel burn based on 48 gallons total useable – 10 gallons (recovered in right tank) = 38 gallons / 4.4 hours tach flown = 8.63 gallons per hour consumed. This coincides with the accident pilot’s (CFI) statement that he calculates fuel burn at 9 gallons per hour. Before departure, the CFI reported checking the aircraft’s fuel, observing both tanks filled to the tabs, which he stated indicated 17 gallons per tank. However, this is doubtful since the aircraft had flown 2.2 hours previously which corresponds to 19 gallons burned which results in 14.5 gallons per side remaining.
The investigation did not result in the discovery of any airworthiness issues with the aircraft. The pilot did not effectively manage the available fuel, including switching between the left and right fuel tanks to maintain lateral balance and ensure a continuous fuel supply to the engine, which led to engine failure.
As the FAA filed it
THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER PART 61 WAS PLANNED FOR THREE HOURS. THE FLIGHT LEFT DEKALB–PEACHTREE AIRPORT (PDK) AT APPROXIMATELY 2212, ENROUTE TO ROME (RMG), WITH A STUDENT PILOT, THE CFI, AND AN OBSERVER ONBOARD. ACCORDING TO THE CFI, ABOUT FIVE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS WERE COMPLETED AT RMG BEFORE RETURNING TO PDK FOR ADDITIONAL TAKEOFF AND LANDING TRAINING. AT APPROXIMATELY 0022, DURING CLIMB OUT FOLLOWING A TOUCH-AND-GO, THE ENGINE FAILED AT AN ALTITUDE OF 400 FEET . THE STUDENT PILOT SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE RIGHT TANK AND TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE, WHICH BRIEFLY TURNED OVER BUT DID NOT START. THE CFI ATTEMPTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A NEARBY HIGHWAY AND THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK TREES, POWER LINES, AND A POWER POLE, RESULTING IN THE SEPARATION OF THE LEFT WING. THE PLANE CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE IN THE FRONT YARD OF A HOUSE ADJACENT TO THE HIGHWAY.
ACCORDING TO TCDS 2A13 THE PA 28-151 IS EQUIPPED WITH TWO FUEL TANKS AND A USABLE FUEL CAPACITY OF 48 GALLONS (24 GALLONS PER SIDE). AT THE ACCIDENT SITE RECOVERY PERSONNEL DRAINED APPROXIMATELY 10 GALLONS OF FUEL FROM THE RIGHT FUEL TANK AND THE SMALL FIRE ADJACENT TO THE BREECH OF THE LEFT TANK INDICATED THAT IT CONTAINED ONLY RESIDUAL FUEL. ACCORDING TO THE CHIEF FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR FOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND A RECEIPT HE PROVIDED, THE AIRCRAFT FUEL TANKS WERE TOPPED OFF BY SIGNATURE AVIATION ON 08/06/2025. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NEXT FLOWN ON 08/08/2025. THE DISPATCH RECORDS SHOW DISPATCH AT 343.8 TACH AND 1598.1 HOBBS FOR THE FIRST FLIGHT. FLIGHT AWARE SHOWS THREE FLIGHTS WERE CONDUCTED BETWEEN 1413 AND 1852 LOCAL; THESE CORRESPOND TO THE DISPATCH RECORDS. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE THIRD FLIGHT THE DISPATCH RECORDS SHOW A 346.0 TACH AND 1600.80 HOBBS. THE FOURTH FLIGHT OF THE DAY WAS THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT; AT THE ACCIDENT SITE THE TACHOMETER HOURS WERE 348.2 AND HOBBS HOURS WERE 1603.6. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN FLOWN FOR 4.4 HOURS TACH AND 5.5 HOURS HOBBS OVER THE FOUR FLIGHTS.
THE APPROXIMATE FUEL BURN BASED ON 48 GALLONS TOTAL USEABLE – 10 GALLONS (RECOVERED IN RIGHT TANK) = 38 GALLONS / 4.4 HOURS TACH FLOWN = 8.63 GALLONS PER HOUR CONSUMED. THIS COINCIDES WITH THE ACCIDENT PILOT’S (CFI) STATEMENT THAT HE CALCULATES FUEL BURN AT 9 GALLONS PER HOUR. BEFORE DEPARTURE, THE CFI REPORTED CHECKING THE AIRCRAFT’S FUEL, OBSERVING BOTH TANKS FILLED TO THE TABS, WHICH HE STATED INDICATED 17 GALLONS PER TANK. HOWEVER, THIS IS DOUBTFUL SINCE THE AIRCRAFT HAD FLOWN 2.2 HOURS PREVIOUSLY WHICH CORRESPONDS TO 19 GALLONS BURNED WHICH RESULTS IN 14.5 GALLONS PER SIDE REMAINING.
THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT RESULT IN THE DISCOVERY OF ANY AIRWORTHINESS ISSUES WITH THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT DID NOT EFFECTIVELY MANAGE THE AVAILABLE FUEL, INCLUDING SWITCHING BETWEEN THE LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL TANKS TO MAINTAIN LATERAL BALANCE AND ENSURE A CONTINUOUS FUEL SUPPLY TO THE ENGINE, WHICH LED TO ENGINE FAILURE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N1080H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.