Piper PA28 N4247T

Summary

On 7 April 2010 at about 00:36 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N4247T, operated by Allen Friedlander, was involved in an accident near Louisville, Kentucky, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 April 2010 at 00:36

Classification

Accident

Location

Louisville, Kentucky, United States

Nearest airport

Louisville International (SDF)

Coordinates

38.1922, -85.7400

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N4247T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Allen Friedlander

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

New Hudson → Louisville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA10CA214

1 person was seriously injured.

A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel management.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he received a weather briefing prior to departing on the 277-nautical mile cross-country flight. The airplane's departure fuel level was "above the tabs, but not full." Information from the manufacturer's Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) indicated that, when the fuel level was at the tabs, the fuel quantity was 35 gallons. The maximum usable fuel capacity was 48 gallons. The pilot stated that the weight of his baggage precluded him from operating with full fuel tanks, and that he encountered "stronger than expected headwinds" along the route of flight. About 2030, when the airplane was 1 mile from the destination airport, the engine "quit." The pilot executed a forced landing on a road, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. Examination by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that each of the airplane's fuel tanks contained approximately 1 to 2 cups of fuel. No fuel was found in the gascolator or the carburetor. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures, and in an interview with the FAA inspector, the pilot stated that he should have stopped for fuel en route. According to the POH, at 75 percent power, and operating with a "lean mixture," the airplane's fuel consumption rate was 10 gallons per hour.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.