- Date
- December 26, 1991, 11:02 local (16:02 UTC)
- Place
- Fayetteville, NC
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5583WPiper PA-28-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911226057259A
- Case key
- 33048
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-in-command's failure to perform an adequate preflight in that he failed to assure adequate fuel for the flight was available. Contributing to the accident was the unsuitable terrain encountered during the forced landing.
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 private pilot only estimated his fuel supply and did not check it. While established on downwind leg at the destination airport the engine failed and the airplane struck trees during the forced landing. Only one gallon of fuel was found in the fuel system.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5583W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-616
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Burnette, Richard J.
- Registered owner
- Burnette, Richard J.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 1990
- Departed
- 5W4 · Raeford, NC
- Airport
- FAY · Fayetteville
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
- 64
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 119 total · 72 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAY, 1 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.