- Date
- October 14, 2008, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Repton, AL
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7314JPiper PA-28-140
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20081014857109A
- Case key
- 69290
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
Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate preflight planning.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot and his passenger were performing aerial observations, checking paper mill inventories. After approximately three hours of flying, they made an intermediate stop. No attempt was made to purchase fuel at the airport. During the return leg, the left fuel gauge read zero, so the pilot switched to the right tank. The engine began to lose power when the right tank read zero. The pilot switched back to the left tank and was able to restore power for about two more minutes, then the engine quit again. Unable to restore power, he made a forced landing in a wooded area. The airplane collided with trees and came to rest inverted. An A and P mechanic who recovered the wreckage reported that there was no fuel in the tanks and no evidence of fuel leakage on the ground.
Factual narrative
The pilot and his passenger were performing aerial observations, checking paper mill inventories. After approximately three hours of flying, they made an intermediate stop. No attempt was made to purchase fuel at the airport. During the return leg, the left fuel gauge read zero, so the pilot switched to the right tank. The engine began to lose power when the right tank read zero. The pilot switched back to the left tank and was able to restore power for about two more minutes, then the engine quit. Unable to restore power, a forced landing was made in a wooded area. The airplane collided with trees and came to rest inverted. An A and P mechanic who recovered the wreckage reported that there was no fuel in the tanks and no evidence of fuel leakage on the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7314J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-24663
- Airframe hours
- 4,456
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320-E2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 25, 2008 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- 4R3 · Jackson, AL
- Destination
- KMVC · Monroeville, AL
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
- 73
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 18, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 15,736 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 9,520 as pilot in command · 95 in the last 90 days · 49 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- KGZH
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.