Piper PA-38-112 N2487N

Summary

On 25 August 1989 at about 21:07 local time, a Piper PA-38-112 registered N2487N, operated by Belle Isle Int'l Acft Sales, was involved in an accident near Gainesville, Georgia, United States. One person was 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.

Date

25 August 1989 at 21:07

Classification

Accident

Location

Gainesville, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Lee Gilmer Memorial (GVL)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-38-112

Registration

N2487N

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Belle Isle Int'l Acft Sales

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL89LA202

Nobody was injured.

THE PILOT'S MISJUDGEMENT OF THE AIRPLANE FUEL SUPPLY DURING PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, AND HIS SUBSEQUENT FAILURE TO MONITOR IN-FLIGHT FUEL CONSUMPTION, WHICH LED TO AN ENGINE POWER LOSS DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S DECISION NOT TO REFUEL THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT, AND HIS LACK OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRPLANE ENGINE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER DURING FINAL APPROACH, AND THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHED INTO TREES SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THE STUDENT PLT WAS ON A LOCAL, UNSUPERVISED SOLO FLT AND HAD CONDUCTED SEVERAL T&G LDGS PRIOR TO THE POWER LOSS. TOTAL FLT TIME THIS FLT WAS ABOUT 1 HOUR. THE OPERATOR REPORTED THAT POST-CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED NO FUEL REMAINING IN THE FUEL TANKS. THE OPERATOR NOTED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN OPERATED A TOTAL OF 4.6 HRS SINCE LAST REFUELING. HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE PLT WHO HAD FLOWN THE AIRPLANE ON THE PREVIOUS FLT REPORTED THAT AT THE END OF THE FLT, THE LT & RT FUEL QTY GAUGES RESPECTIVELY INDICATED 5 GALLONS & LESS THAN 5 GALLONS REMAINING. THE STUDENT PLT REPORTED THAT HE HAD ESTIMATED THE TANKS WERE ABOUT 1/2 FULL WHEN HE PREFLIGHTED THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO THIS FLIGHT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.