- Date
- March 29, 1982, 12:25 local (17:25 UTC)
- Place
- Macon, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9LTPiper PA-24-250
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 29, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820329006509A
- Case key
- 71525
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
The non-instrument rated pilot reported departing ft lauderdale, FL with 4 hrs of fuel on board on a 40 minute flight to okeechobee, FL. The next day, he departed okeechobee without refueling on a flight to Macon, GA. He reported that he had to climb to 10,500 ft to avoid clouds and maintain VFR. While en route, he found himself over a cloud layer. With 40 hours of instrument experience, he elected to descend and land at Macon. The pilot was vectored and cleared for an ILS approach. Approach control noted that the pilot did not descend below 1600 ft as he approached and overflew the airport. The airport elevation was 354 ft. he initiated a missed approach, and shortly thereafter, reported that he had run out of fuel. He was vectored back toward the airport, but was unable to reach the runway. About three hours and 5 minutes after takeoff the plane struck wires as the pilot was landing in a wheat field. After hitting the wires, he was able to maintain control until after touchdown.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9LT
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24 3203
- Airframe hours
- 3,056
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1D5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Larry E. Thayer
- Registered owner
- Larry E. Thayer
- Departed
- OBE · Okeechobee, FL
- Destination
- L69 · Death Valley, CA
- Airport
- MCN · Lewis B. Wilson
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 435 total · 344 in this make and model · 297 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 900 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 117 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.