- Date
- November 8, 2004, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Chamblee, GA
- Injuries
- 2 minor; on the ground: 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N411CPPiper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Atlanta FSDO
- FAA report
- 20041108033999A
- Case key
- 60541
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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Probable cause
The pilot's mismanagement of the fuel supply, which resulted in fuel starvation and the subsequent loss of engine power. .
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
Shortly after takeoff the engine started to "sputter" and lose power. Efforts by the pilot to restore power were unsuccessful. The pilot declared an emergency and during the forced landing the airplane collided with a house. Examination of the airplane found no fuel in the right and left main fuel tanks and about five gallons of fuel in the left tip tank. The right tip tank separated during the collision sequence. There was no browning of grass or remnants of fuel at the location of the right tip tank. Fuel was not present in the fuel lines leading from the right tip tank to the engine. The engine was successfully run. According to the pilot, the airplane departed with 14 gallons of fuel in the right tip tank.
Factual narrative
On November 8, 2004, at 1530 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-32-260, N411CP, registered to and operated by the private pilot collided with a house shortly after takeoff from the DeKalb/Peachtree Airport in Chamblee, Georgia. The airplane was being operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The pilot received minor injuries, a resident of the house received minor injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight was originating at the time of the accident on November 8, 2004, enroute to Winder, Georgia.
According to the pilot, shortly after takeoff the airplane's engine started to "sputter" and lose power. Efforts made by the pilot to restore power were unsuccessful. The pilot declared an emergency and during the forced landing the airplane collided with a house.
Examination of the airplane found no fuel in the right and left main fuel tanks and about five gallons of fuel in the left tip tank. The right tip tank separated during the collision sequence however there was no browning of grass or remnants of fuel at the location of the right tip tank. There was no fuel present in the fuel lines from the right tip tank to the engine. The airplane was recovered by Atlanta Air Recovery for further examination. The engine was successfully run at Atlanta Air Recovery. According to the pilot, the airplane departed with 14 gallons of fuel in the right tip tank.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N411CP
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7500003
- Airframe hours
- 3,378.28
- Engine
- Avco Lycoming O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard Hunter Ranzau
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 2004 · 35.3 hours before
- Departed
- PDK · Dekalb, GA
- Destination
- WDR · Winder, GA
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.
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC)
- Wind
- 300° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- PDK
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.