- Date
- December 15, 1991, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Timmonsville, SC
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N38153Piper J-4E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911215056329A
- Case key
- 33045
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
Total loss of engine power (nonmechanical) due to inadequate fuel consumption calculation by the pilot-in-command, resulting in an engine failure due to fuel exhaustion, a forced landing, and in-flight collision with terrain.
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 was maneuvering his airplane at 1,000 feet AGL in VFR conditions when the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot conducted a forced landing to a freshly plowed field. The airplane stalled on final approach, landed hard, and sustained substantial damage. The pilot was seriously injured and the passenger received minor injuries. Examination of the airplane wreckage and fuel system by the FAA, revealed the airplane experienced fuel exhaustion.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38153
- Reported as
- Piper J-4E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 41568
- Engine
- Continental A-75, 75 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Broad, Jacob M., Jr.
- Registered owner
- Broad, Jacob M., Jr.
- Departed
- 58J · Timmonsville, SC
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 140 total · 20 in this make and model · 78 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 5 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FLO, 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.