- Date
- January 10, 1990, 23:31 local (Jan 11, 1990, 04:31 UTC)
- Place
- Lithia Springs, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N55862Piper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 29, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900110001669A
- Case key
- 8199
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, due to an inadequate supply of fuel.
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 plt stated that while in night VFR cruise flight at 3000 feet AGL, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. He attempted a successful engine restart, but the engine quit again. A forced landing was made. On landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage when it collided with a fence and a tree. The private plt and passenger were not injured. Investigation revealed the airplane had been operated for 5.5 hours. The fuel tanks were empty and not ruptured during the crash sequence. The plt stated that the airplane experienced fuel exhaustion.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N55862
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7325507
- Airframe hours
- 2,304
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gem City Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 09A · Butter Choctaw, AL
- Destination
- RVY · Kennesaw, 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.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 325 total · 38 in this make and model · 250 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ATL, 28 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.