Piper PA-34-220T N9191P

Summary

On 14 March 1991 at about 02:47 local time, a Piper PA-34-220T registered N9191P, operated by Kirk Rudy, Inc., was involved in an accident near Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States. 2 people were 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

14 March 1991 at 02:47

Classification

Accident

Location

Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Gwinnett County (17A)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-34-220T

Registration

N9191P

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Kirk Rudy, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Executive/Corporate

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

White Plains → Marietta

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

ATL91FA064

1 person was seriously injured.

THE POOR INFLIGHT PLANNING BY THE PILOT WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION. FACTORS RELATED TO THIS ACCIDENT WERE THE UNFAVORABLE WINDS, THE DARK NIGHT, AND THE INOPERABLE AIRPORT RUNWAY LIGHTS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE FLIGHT DEPARTED WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK EN ROUTE TO MARIETTA, GEORGIA. STRONG HEAD WINDS WERE FORECASTED FOR THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. UPON REACHING THE FOOTHILLS VOR (ODF) THE PILOT DECIDED TO DIVERT TO ATHENS, GEORGIA IN ORDER TO OBTAIN FUEL. THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN UNDER WAY FOR FOUR HOURS AND FORTY-SIX MINUTES AT THIS POINT, AND THE FLIGHT PLAN REPORTED FIVE AND ONE HALF HOURS OF FUEL ON BOARD AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT DID NOT OBTAIN THE ATHENS WEATHER PRIOR TO MAKING HIS DECISION. CEILINGS AT THE ATHENS AIRPORT WERE LOWER THAN THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE FOR THE APPROACHES INTO ATHENS. THERE WERE OTHER AIRPORTS WITHIN THE REMAINING FUEL RANGE WHICH WERE VFR AT THE TIME. THE PILOT MADE AN APPROACH TO THE ATHENS AIRPORT AND ATTEMPTED AN APPROACH INTO ANOTHER AIRPORT ABOUT 17 MILES TO THE EAST OF ATHENS. THE PILOT DID NOT DECLARE AN EMERGENCY UNTIL AFTER THE MISSED APPROACH INTO THE ATHENS AIRPORT. HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO LOCATE THE LAWRENCEVILLE, GEORGIA AIRPORT, BUT WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE AIRPORT, AS THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE OUT OF SERVICE AT THE TIME. THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER AS A RESULT OF FUEL EXHAUSTION AND CRASHED LANDED IN THE CITY OF LAWRENCEVILLE ABOUT THREE MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.