- Date
- September 10, 1993, 13:20 local (17:20 UTC)
- Place
- Davison, MI
- Injuries
- 4 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N38602Piper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 7, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 9307
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot, which resulted in inadequate fuel 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 pilot reported the airplane's engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion. He made an off airport landing on a railroad right-of-way. The pilot reported to an FAA inspector that the engine lost power due to fuel mismanagement and failure to lean the mixture.
Factual narrative
On September 10, 1993, about 1320 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181 airplane, N38602, experienced a loss of engine power during cruise and landed off-airport near Davison, Michigan. The private pilot and three passengers aboard received minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions existed in the area. The personal flight originated in Appleton, Wisconsin, about 1005 EDT on a VFR flight plan and operated under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot stated that during cruise the engine sputtered. He then switched the selected fuel tank from the left to the right and activated the electric fuel pump. The pilot then initiated an approach to runway 26 at Davison Airport. Once he realized that he would not be able to make it to the airport, the pilot elected to make a forced landing onto a cleared area between two sets of railroad tracks.
In a statement made to the FAA inspector, the pilot claimed he ran out of fuel due to poor fuel management. He also stated that he did not lean the mixture during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38602
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 287790568
- Airframe hours
- 6,134
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Maxair, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Maxair, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 19, 1993 · 84 hours before
- Departed
- ATW · Appleton, WI
- Destination
- YZR · Sarnia, Ontario
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 6G0 · Davison-Athelone Williams, runway 26, 3,526 × 40 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
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 97 total · 5 in this make and model · 40 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FNT, 11 nm away