- Date
- August 18, 1987, 22:30 local (Aug 19, 1987, 02:30 UTC)
- Place
- Aurora, NC
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5561UPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 11, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870818045979A
- Case key
- 7312
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 pilot ditched the aircraft after running out of fuel while en route to bayboro,NC. The flight had departed earlier in the day and had flown to melfa,VA. The pilot did not fuel the aircraft before starting the flight and over flew several possible refueling locations. The flight departed bayboro,NC with less than 36 gallons of fuel, and the pilot had flown 3.8 hours prior to the engine failure. The pilot's failure to file a flight plan resulted in the search for the downed aircraft being delayed several hours. There was no record of the pilot making a mayday call nor did he transmit 7700 on the transponder. The two passengers were rescued by a ferry boat about 13 hours after the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5561U
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 26285
- Airframe hours
- 1,894
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Larry H. Prescott
- Registered owner
- Larry Prescott
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 24, 1987 · 23 hours before
- Departed
- Melfa, VA
- Destination
- Bayboro, NC
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 669 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 220° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 79 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EWN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.