- Date
- December 3, 1988, 23:15 local (Dec 4, 1988, 04:15 UTC)
- Place
- Chambersburg, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2179YPiper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report November 24, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881203052399A
- Case key
- 36344
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
The pilot of the Piper PA-28 was at cruise altitude and getting advisories from ATC. ATC gave him a SIGMET for turbulence when he noted his fuel was getting low. He decided to land at a nearby airport and was told by ATC that the airport he wanted was at his 12 o'clock position and 8 miles. Radar service was then terminated and shortly thereafter the aircraft ran out of fuel. The pilot could not find the airport and tried to land on a highway. As he lined up with the highway to land the aircraft struck some trees and a road sign. When the acft contacted the ground the nose wheel collapsed and the acft nosed over. The acft slid 150-200 ft before stopping against a guard rail.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2179Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7990382
- Airframe hours
- 2,518
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- George Glomeau
- Registered owner
- Marjac Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 2, 1988 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- ORD · Norwood, MA
- Destination
- Charleston, WV
- Airport
- N68 · Chambersburg
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
- 24
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 164 total · 3 in this make and model · 100 as pilot in command · 85 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 280° at 20 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.