- Date
- November 13, 2008, 19:50 UTC
- Place
- Tuscaloosa, AL
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N8797NPiper PA-28-140
- Defining event
- Emergency descent: 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
- 20081113856689A
- Case key
- 69438
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 mismanagement of the fuel supply, which resulted in fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was improper preflight planning.
Findings · 2
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 stated that during the short cross-country flight he switched from the left to the right fuel tank every 30 minutes. He said that as he approached his destination, the fuel gauges for both tanks indicated that there were approximately 3 gallons of fuel in each wing tank. He said that "he wasn’t concerned about this because he had only 11 miles to go." However, the "engine quit." He said that his fuel selector was on the right fuel tank and showed approximately 2 gallons of fuel. He switched to the left tank which also indicated 2 gallons of fuel. He restarted the engine, but it ran for only approximately 15 seconds. He then prepared for an emergency off-field landing. During the emergency landing the airplane collided with a tree. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that both fuel tanks were empty. A cursory examination of the engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions. In a telephone conversation with the pilot, he acknowledged that he "made a mistake by relying on the fuel gauges," and that he "should have planned better."
Factual narrative
The pilot of the Piper Cherokee 140 stated that during a short cross country flight he switched from the left to the right fuel tank every 30 minutes. He said that as he approached his destination, the fuel gauges for both tanks indicated that there were approximately 3 gallons of fuel in each wing tank. He said that "he wasn’t concerned about this because he had only 11 miles to go." However, the "engine quit." He said that his fuel selector was on the right fuel tank and showed approximately 2 gallons of fuel. He switched to the left tank which also indicated 2 gallons of fuel. He restarted the engine, but it ran for only approximately 15 seconds. He then prepared for an emergency off field landing. During the emergency landing the airplane collided with a tree. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that both fuel tanks were empty. A cursory examination of the engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions. In a telephone conversation with the pilot, he acknowledged that he "made a mistake by relying on the fuel gauges," and that he "should have planned better."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8797N
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-25641
- Airframe hours
- 4,820
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 17, 2008 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- IJX · Jacksonville, FL
- Destination
- TCL · Tuscaloosa, AL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- TCL · Tuscalosa Regional Airport
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
- 66
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 15, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 424 total · 407 in this make and model · 395 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Observed at
- TCL, 2 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.
Other investigations on N8797N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.