- Date
- August 8, 2023, 11:55 local (17:55 UTC)
- Place
- Ritchfield, UT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8823JPiper PA-28-180
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20230808012749A
- Case key
- 192830
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 preflight planning that resulted in the loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 2
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, after flying for about four hours, the engine began to surge. Concerned about the fuel condition, he switched to the other fuel tank and turned toward a highway for a potential emergency landing. While descending, the engine experienced surges again and then sputtered, followed by a complete loss of engine power. The pilot noticed that both fuel tank gauges were showing empty. While maneuvering over the highway for a forced landing, the airplane’s right wingtip collided with a semi-truck, causing the airplane to strike the highway and veer off into a median. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8823J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-2778
- Built
- 1965
- Airframe hours
- 2,938
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A3A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 17, 2023
- Departed
- LVK · Livermore, CA
- Destination
- N79 · Northumberland, PA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- RIF
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Onboard weather
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 10,400 total · 5,500 in this make and model · 9,800 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 686 total · 600 in this make and model · 632 as pilot in command · 47 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KFOM, 22 nm away
- METAR
- KFOM 081815Z AUTO 7SM CLR 26/05 A3018 RMK AO2 T02580051
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 4, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.