- Date
- July 10, 1993, 11:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Senter, MI
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1630HPiper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930710023089A
- Case key
- 9236
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-in-command's inadequate pre-flight planning. Factors relating to this accident are fuel exhaustion, unsuitable terrain on which to make an emergency landing, as well as an inadvertent stall.
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
While at cruise flight, the aircraft 'ran out of gas 10 miles short of the airport and crashed into thick woods.' The pilot in command inadvertently stalled the aircraft after the engine lost total power. On site investigation found no fuel in the fuel tanks, and post-accident examination revealed no evidence of pre-impact mechanical malfunction with the airframe, engine or accessories.
Factual narrative
On July 10, 1993, approximately 1145 eastern daylight time (EDT), a Piper, PA28; N1630H, sustained substantial damage when it experienced total loss of engine power, stalled above some trees, and then fell through the trees to the ground. The private pilot received minor injuries, while the three passengers were uninjured. The flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions with a VFR flight plan on file.
The flight departed Berz Macomb at 0830 EDT en route to Houghton County Memorial Airport, Houghton, Michigan. The pilot reported "I ran out of gas 10 miles short of the airport and crashed into thick woods. This was not a mechanical malfunction."
On site investigation revealed there was no fuel in the fuel tanks. Post-accident examination revealed no evidence of pre- impact mechanical malfunction with the airframe, engine or accessories.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1630H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7790317
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Berz Flying Service, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Berz Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- UIZ · Utica, MI
- Destination
- CMX · Hancock, MI
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 33
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 214 total · 50 in this make and model · 17 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CMX, 10 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.