# NTSB ATL91FA064: Piper PA-34-220T, N9191P, Lawrenceville, GA, March 14, 1991

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Field investigation · Final report
- Date: March 13, 1991, 21:47 local (Mar 14, 1991, 02:47 UTC)
- Place: Lawrenceville, GA
- Location: 33.9529° N, 83.9922° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Lawrenceville, GA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.9529&lon=-83.9922&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report December 15, 1992
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 8314
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL91FA064
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/8314/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL91FA064

## Probable cause

THE POOR INFLIGHT PLANNING BY THE PILOT WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION. FACTORS RELATED TO THIS ACCIDENT WERE THE UNFAVORABLE WINDS, THE DARK NIGHT, AND THE INOPERABLE AIRPORT RUNWAY LIGHTS.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, cruise
  - all engines
  - in-flight planning/decision - poor, pilot in command (cause)
  - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (cause)
  - weather condition - unfavorable wind (contributing factor)
  - airport facilities,runway edge lights - not operating (contributing factor)
  - light condition - night (contributing factor)
- Forced landing, approach
- In flight collision with object, descent - emergency
- In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled

## Analysis

THE FLIGHT DEPARTED WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK EN ROUTE TO MARIETTA, GEORGIA. STRONG HEAD WINDS WERE FORECASTED FOR THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. UPON REACHING THE FOOTHILLS VOR (ODF) THE PILOT DECIDED TO DIVERT TO ATHENS, GEORGIA IN ORDER TO OBTAIN FUEL. THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN UNDER WAY FOR FOUR HOURS AND FORTY-SIX MINUTES AT THIS POINT, AND THE FLIGHT PLAN REPORTED FIVE AND ONE HALF HOURS OF FUEL ON BOARD AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT DID NOT OBTAIN THE ATHENS WEATHER PRIOR TO MAKING HIS DECISION. CEILINGS AT THE ATHENS AIRPORT WERE LOWER THAN THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE FOR THE APPROACHES INTO ATHENS. THERE WERE OTHER AIRPORTS WITHIN THE REMAINING FUEL RANGE WHICH WERE VFR AT THE TIME. THE PILOT MADE AN APPROACH TO THE ATHENS AIRPORT AND ATTEMPTED AN APPROACH INTO ANOTHER AIRPORT ABOUT 17 MILES TO THE EAST OF ATHENS. THE PILOT DID NOT DECLARE AN EMERGENCY UNTIL AFTER THE MISSED APPROACH INTO THE ATHENS AIRPORT. HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO LOCATE THE LAWRENCEVILLE, GEORGIA AIRPORT, BUT WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE AIRPORT, AS THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE OUT OF SERVICE AT THE TIME. THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER AS A RESULT OF FUEL EXHAUSTION AND CRASHED LANDED IN THE CITY OF LAWRENCEVILLE ABOUT THREE MILES SOUTH  OF THE AIRPORT.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N9191P](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9191P-1992-09-14), registration cancelled 1992-09-14, S/N 3433132 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-34-220T
- Registry model: [Piper PA-34-220T](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-220t) (registry code 7103420) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 3433132
- Engines: CONTINENTAL L/TSIO-360-KB 220 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Executive/Corporate, Part 91
- Operator: Kirk Rudy, Inc.
- Registered owner: Kirk Rudy, Inc.
- Departed: HPN, WHITE PLAINS, NY
- Destination: 8A4, MARIETTA, GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: 17A, Gwinnett County

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 37; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; flight hours: 6,000 total, 95 in this make and model, 6,000 as pilot in command, 90 in the last 90 days, 37 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Night/dark
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Temperature: 45 °F, dew point 45 °F

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19910313008459A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19910313008459A), Mar 13, 1991: Piper PA34220T, Lawrenceville, GA, Substantial damage. Low on fuel due headwind. Missed approachs at several airports. Ran out of fuel on vectors to unlighted airport.

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.

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