- Date
- July 21, 1982, 09:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- Shanksville, PA
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1885TPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 21, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820721030809A
- Case key
- 72602
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
During preflight the plt estimated he had about 18 gals of fuel on board. Approximately 10 min after takeoff the eng quit due to fuel exhaustion. The acft collided with a power line pole during the forced landing. The arpt's FBO stated that fuel was not available as the supply had been depleted since 7/15.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1885T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-1225041
- Airframe hours
- 2,367
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Louis Mellinger
- Registered owner
- Louis Mellinger
- Departed
- Somerset, PA
- Destination
- Somerset, PA
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 400 total · 202 in this make and model · 345 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Temperature
- 142 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.