Piper 28-140 N4643R
31 December 2015 · Republic, Missouri, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 31 December 2015 at about 03:55 local time, a Piper 28-140 registered N4643R was involved in an accident near Republic, Missouri, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 03:55
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Republic, Missouri, United States
- Coordinates
- 37.1110, -93.4692
- Aircraft
- Piper 28-140
- Registration
- N4643R
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1966
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Creve Coeur → Aurora
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- CEN16LA079
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power during cruise flight.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The private pilot and a passenger were conducting a night cross-country flight. About 15 miles from the destination, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was only able to obtain momentary engine power each time he pumped the throttle. The pilot then performed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane struck a tree and fence. A first responder to the accident stated that there was a smell of fuel and the ground was wet at the accident site. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the left wing fuel tank was breached and contained no fuel. The right wing fuel tank was intact. The right tank contained no usable fuel, and the fuel selector was selected to the right tank. The examination revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal engine operation. It is likely that the pilot exhausted the fuel supply in the right tank and did not reposition the fuel selector to the left tank; thus, the engine experienced a loss of power due to fuel starvation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper 28 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Aug 2023 | Piper 28 | Seaton, United Kingdom | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Apr 2023 | Piper 28 | Jandakot, Australia | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jan 2024 | Piper 28 | Spa, Belgium | - | Unknown | - |
| 10 Sep 2005 | Piper 28 | Andulusia, Alabama, United States | AMS Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 25 Aug 1990 | Piper 28R | Farmingdale, New Jersey, United States | Gibson Flight Academy | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jul 1984 | Piper 28RT-201T | Glendo, Wyoming, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Jun 2015 | Cessna 180 | Vichey, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 2015 | Beechcraft A36 | Huggins, Missouri, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 14 Jun 2015 | Piper PA 32 | Cuba, Missouri, United States | Limb-A-Nator LLC | Fatal | 1 |
| 20 Mar 2015 | Embraer EMB 145LR | Springfield, Missouri, United States | American Eagle Airlines | No injuries | - |
| 11 Nov 2015 | Cessna 182Q | Richmond, Missouri, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 21 Apr 2015 | Arion LIGHTNING LS-1 | West Plains, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |