Piper PA-28-140 N8797N
13 November 2008 · Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 13 November 2008 at about 19:50 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N8797N was involved in an accident near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States
- Nearest airport
- Tuscalosa Regional Airport (TCL)
- Coordinates
- 33.2189, -87.6069
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140
- Registration
- N8797N
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Jacksonville → Tuscaloosa
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA09CA052
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Probable cause
The pilot's mismanagement of the fuel supply, which resulted in fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was improper preflight planning.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot stated that during the short cross-country flight he switched from the left to the right fuel tank every 30 minutes. He said that as he approached his destination, the fuel gauges for both tanks indicated that there were approximately 3 gallons of fuel in each wing tank. He said that "he wasn’t concerned about this because he had only 11 miles to go." However, the "engine quit." He said that his fuel selector was on the right fuel tank and showed approximately 2 gallons of fuel. He switched to the left tank which also indicated 2 gallons of fuel. He restarted the engine, but it ran for only approximately 15 seconds. He then prepared for an emergency off-field landing. During the emergency landing the airplane collided with a tree. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that both fuel tanks were empty. A cursory examination of the engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions. In a telephone conversation with the pilot, he acknowledged that he "made a mistake by relying on the fuel gauges," and that he "should have planned better."
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-28 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2008 | Piper PA 28-180 | Sonoma, California, United States | Timothy Bennett | No injuries | - |
| 6 Jan 2008 | Piper PA-28-161 | Miami, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Oct 2008 | Piper PA-28-161 | Crookston, Minnesota, United States | UND Aerospace Foundation | No injuries | - |
| 12 Dec 2008 | Piper PA-28-235 | New Bern, North Carolina, United States | A & M Aero Inc | No injuries | - |
| 15 Mar 2008 | Piper PA-28-181 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | Pan AM International Flight Academy | No injuries | - |
| 19 Dec 2008 | Piper PA-28-140 | Kapolei, Hawaii, United States | Offshore Flight School Inc | Serious injuries | - |
All 9,402 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jun 2008 | Beechcraft S35 | Creola, Alabama, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Jan 2008 | Piper PA-32-300 | Lapine, Alabama, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Oct 2008 | Cessna 182T | Gulf Shores, Alabama, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Oct 2008 | Piper PA-28-140 | Repton, Alabama, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 Jan 2008 | Quicksilver SPORT 2S | Arley, Alabama, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jun 2008 | Taylorcraft F19 | Montgomery, Alabama, United States | James W. Freeman | Minor injuries | - |