- Date
- September 13, 2015, 11:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lexington, NE
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N121LKPiper PA 28-181
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 91990
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 improper fuel planning which resulted in fuel exhaustion, and loss of engine power. Additionally, the pilot's failure to maintain pitch control during the emergency landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Findings · 5
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 reported that he exhausted all the fuel in both of the fuel tanks prior to reaching his destination, and was forced to maneuver for an emergency landing in a hay field. The pilot reported that after he lost sight of the hay bales that lined the field, he decided to "slightly pull up." Subsequently, the airplane aerodynamically stalled and the right wing impacted the ground. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he exhausted all the fuel in both of the fuel tanks prior to reaching his destination, and was forced to maneuver for an emergency landing in a hay field. The pilot reported that after he lost sight of the hay bales that lined the field, he decided to "slightly pull up." Subsequently, the airplane aerodynamically stalled and the right wing impacted the ground. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N121LK
- Reported as
- Piper PA 28-181 (181)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8190113
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 3,987
- Engine
- Lycoming O&VO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hedgehoppers Flying Club Inc
- Registered owner
- Hedgehoppers Flying Club Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 8, 2014
- Departed
- LBO · Lebanon, MO
- Destination
- LXN · Lexington, NE
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Stall warning system
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
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 29, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 263 total · 136 in this make and model · 231 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- KLXN, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 7, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.0 MB in all.