# NTSB ATL02LA023: Piper PA-28-161, N3035L, Kennesaw, GA, December 27, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: December 26, 2001, 21:52 local (Dec 27, 2001, 02:52 UTC) - Place: Kennesaw, GA - Coordinates: 34.013053, -84.598609 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.0131&lon=-84.5986&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report January 16, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA Atlanta FSDO-11 - NTSB case key (mKey): 53948 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL02LA023 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/53948/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL02LA023 ## Probable cause The pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision resulting in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion,which resulted in a forced landing, and subsequent in-flight collision with transmission wires. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power, descent - fluid,fuel - exhaustion - in-flight planning/decision - improper, pilot in command (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - In flight collision with object, emergency descent/landing - object - wire,transmission ## Analysis While enroute he elected to continue his flight based on fuel calculations from the previous days flight to his intended destination. A short time later he exhausted the fuel in his right main fuel tank, and he estimated he had 25 minutes of fuel remaining. His GPS indicated he was 10 minutes from another local area airport. He elected to proceed direct to the airport when the engine experienced a total loss of power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot made a forced landing and collided with transmission wires and became entangled with the wires above the ground. The pilot stated the airplane did not experience any form of mechanical problem. He simply ran out of gas. ## Factual narrative On December 26, 2001, at 2152 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-161, N3035L registered to Flite Services LLC, operated by Sierra Aviation as 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight collided with power lines during an attempted forced landing near Kennesaw, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A visual flight plan was filed but was not activated. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The private pilot and one passenger reported no injuries. The flight originated from Cleveland, Ohio, at 1648. The pilot stated he filed a visual flight plan to Knoxville, Tennessee. While talking with Knoxville Approach he decided he had sufficient fuel to continue flight to Clayton County Airport in Jonesboro, Georgia. He climbed to his cruising altitude and proceeded to the Atlanta VOR. He was located north of the Knoxville, Volunteer VOR, when he checked his fuel status and determined that he still had sufficient fuel to reach Knoxville. A short time later, he was north of Marietta, Georgia, and had exhausted all of his fuel in the right main tank, and he estimated he had 25 minutes of fuel remaining in the left main fuel tank. A cross check of the pilot's hand held GSP showed that the flight was 10 minutes from Cobb County McCollum Airport Marietta, Georgia. About 3 1/2 miles north of Cobb County McCollum Airport, the pilot informed the tower controller that the airplane was out of fuel. The pilot established the best glide airspeed and looked for a forced landing site. The pilot selected a clear area and continued the glide for an emergency landing. The airplane collided with transmission power lines and became entangled with the lines, and was suspended inverted about 200 feet above the ground. The pilot radioed his situation to the control tower and provided the coordinates of his location. When emergency personnel arrived, the pilot and passenger were extracted from the airplane. The pilot stated the airplane did not have a mechanical malfunction, but he simply ran out of fuel. The aircraft maintenance log books were not recovered for examination. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N3035L](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3035L-2009-06-24), registration cancelled 2009-06-24, S/N 28-7916244, built 1979 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-28-161 - Registry model: [Piper PA-28-161](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (registry code 7102803) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 28-7916244 - Engines: Lycoming O-320 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Flite Services LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: BKL, Cleveland, OH - Destination: RYY, Marietta, GA - Flight plan: VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 31; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3; last flight review December 18, 2001; seat: left; flight hours: 160 total, 21 in this make and model, 122 as pilot in command, 98 in the last 90 days, 50 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: 280° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 28 °F, dew point 10 °F - Altimeter: 29.95 inHg - Observed at: PDK, 10 nm away 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. --- 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.