- Date
- January 24, 1998, 13:07 local (18:07 UTC)
- Place
- Laurens, SC
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2609KPiper PA-38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 4, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980124000539A
- Case key
- 3966
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
The pilot's inadequate weather evaluation that resulted in initiating flight in marginal visual conditions, and resulted in fuel exhaustion.
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 reported that during his preflight weather briefing he was told the weather conditions would be marginally visual the entire route. En route, circumnavigation was required because of the weather conditions. He decided that a fuel stop would be necessary, however, the selected airports had IMC. According to the pilot, he elected to 'stretch' the flight to the destination when told weather was improving there. About five miles from the destination the engine quit. The pilot stated he spotted a field and prepared for an emergency landing. On final approach, he saw power lines and attempted to go over them. The aircraft stalled, veered to the right and came to rest in an apple orchard.
Factual narrative
On January 24, 1998, about 1307 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-38-112, N2609K, collided into an apple orchard four miles north of the Laurens County Airport in Laurens, South Carolina. The airplane was operated by the owner/ pilot under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The private pilot and sole occupant sustained serious injuries and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight originated in Lynchburg, Virginia about 0900 eastern standard time.
According to the pilot, he could not land at his re-fueling stop due to instrument meteorological conditions at the intended airport. He stated he continued on to the Laurens County Airport where five miles from the airport, his engine quit. The pilot believes the airplane ran out of fuel. The pilot stated he spotted a field and prepared for an emergency landing. On final approach, he saw some power lines and attempted to go over them. The aircraft stalled and veered to the right. The airplane came to rest in an apple orchard.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2609K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-79A0686
- Airframe hours
- 1,394
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Michael L. Hopkins
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 21, 1997 · 38 hours before
- Departed
- LYH · Lynchburg, VA
- Destination
- 34A · SC
- Airport
- 34C · Laurens County, runway 26, 3,900 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 320 total · 320 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AND, 38 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.