# Accident 20250809019569A: Piper PA-28-151, Chamblee, GA, August 9, 2025 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 9, 2025, 00:25 local time - Place: Chamblee, GA - Airport: Dekalb-Peachtree - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out - Location: 33.8756° N, 84.3096° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.8756&lon=-84.3096&mi=10 - Aircraft: N1080H, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1080H) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28-151 (registry code 7102805, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-151) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-151 - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 3 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot, student - Pilot flight hours: 1,908 total, 166 in this make and model, 101 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA25LA294](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA294) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250809019569A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 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. ## 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 ERA25LA294](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA294), Aug 9, 2025: Piper PA-28-151 (N1080H), Chamblee, GA, substantial damage, investigation ongoing ## Other reports on N1080H (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19890622036369I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890622036369I), Jun 22, 1989: Piper PA28151 (N1080H), Westfield, MA. Student pilot lost directional control of aircraft on a touch and go landing. Veered off runway. 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.