- Date
- October 24, 2001, 03:15 local (07:15 UTC)
- Place
- Brunswick, GA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4149DPiper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report June 3, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- The New Piper Aircraft, Inc., Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20011024036329A
- Case key
- 53682
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper inflight planning which resulted in fuel exhaustion, and subsequent loss of engine power. A factor was the none suitable terrain.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to the pilot, while enroute to Jacksonville, Florida, he noticed that he was low on fuel and contacted "flight control" for directions to the nearest airport. Air traffic control gave him a heading to Glynco Jetport. The pilot said he was at 3000 feet mean sea level and nine miles from the airport when he lost engine power. The pilot declared an emergency, and selectd a forced landing area. The airplane collided with trees four miles west of the airport as the pilot maneuvered for the emergency landing. During the examination of the airplane, no fuel was recovered from the fuel system
Factual narrative
On October 24, 2001, at 0315 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181, N4149D, collided with trees following a loss of engine power about four miles west of the Brunswick; Glynco Jetport, in Brunswick, Georgia. The airplane was operated by the private pilot under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and instrument flight rules (IFR). Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan was filed. The pilot and passenger received minor injuries and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight had originated in Nashville, Tennessee, at 2330, the previous day.
According to the pilot, while enroute to Jacksonville, Florida, he noticed that he was low on fuel and contacted "flight control" for directions to the nearest airport. Air traffic control gave him a radar vector heading to Glynco Jetport. The pilot said he was at 3000 feet mean sea level and nine miles from the airport when he lost engine power. The pilot declared an emergency, and selectd a forced landing area. The airplane collided with trees four miles west of the airport as the pilot maneuvered for the emergency landing.
During the examination of the airplane, no fuel was recovered from the fuel system. Examination of the accident site revealed that the right wing assembly was lodged in a tree. The left wing remained attached to the airframe. The pilot didnot report a mechanical problem with the airplane prior to the total loss of engine power. According to the pilot, the airplane lost power about three hours and forty five minutes into the flight. The flight departed with 50 gallons of fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4149D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2843294
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gary L. Williams
- Registered owner
- Daedalos, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- JWN · Nashville, TN
- Destination
- CRG · Jacksonville, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BQK · Brunswick, Glynco Jetport
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- January 16, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 292 total · 8 in this make and model · 135 as pilot in command · 0 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 0.25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- BQK, 4 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.