- Date
- March 11, 1989, 20:26 local (Mar 12, 1989, 01:26 UTC)
- Place
- Gingerville, MD
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9378TPiper PA-38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report March 12, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890311003749A
- Case key
- 11493
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 improper planning and decision making en route that resulted in his failure to stop and refuel the airplane and 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 acft was flown from pittsburg, PA, to carrollton, OH, where it was topped off with fuel. The plt stated that the next intended stop was atlantic city, NJ, however, the plt decided en route to continue to ocean city, NJ. After passing woodbine, NJ, en route to ocean city, the plt decided to return to woodbine for fuel. After landing it was discovered that the airport was closed and fuel was unavailable. The flt was then continued to the final destination of college park, MD. The plt flew to annapolis, MD. Which he was using as a reference point then northwest to college park. Unable to locate college park, the plt returned to annapolis and informed ATC that he was low on fuel. ATC issued vectors to nearby lee airport, however, fuel exhaustion occurred prior to reaching the airport. The acft contacted power lines, a concrete median barrier and a van during the forced landing on route 2 south of annapolis.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9378T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-78A0080
- Airframe hours
- 3,091
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- K. C. Leasing, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 20, 1989 · 42 hours before
- Departed
- 1N4 · Woodbine, NJ
- Destination
- CGS · College Park, MD
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 180 total · 32 in this make and model · 135 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 160° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BWI, 14 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.