- Date
- August 29, 1990, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fridley, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2842DPiper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900829037149A
- Case key
- 14762
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
Engine failure due to fuel exhaustion because of fuel consumption calculations mis-judged by the pilot in command. Contributing factors were unsuitable terrain and a railroad sign.
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
After over 4 hours of cross-country flight the engine quit. An emergency ldg was attempted between two railroad tracks resulting in a collision with a sign. Post accident investigatioin revealed the fuel tanks to be empty of usable fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2842D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7990488
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Phoenix Aviation, Inc.
- Departed
- SUS · Chesterfield, MO
- Destination
- MIC · Crystal, MN
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 108 total · 14 in this make and model · 49 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N2842D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.