Piper PA-28-180 N8818J

Summary

On 6 June 1996 at about 19:30 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N8818J, operated by Richard W. Candahl, was involved in an accident near Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 June 1996 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N8818J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Richard W. Candahl

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Stuart → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL96FA090

1 person died.

The pilot's inadequate fuel consumption calculations that resulted in fuel exhaustion. A factor was the pilot's failure to follow the emergency procedure for a forced landing, in that the flaps were not extended.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot filed and activated an IFR flight plan. After about 3.2 hours of flight, while descending for a landing approach, the engine lost power. During a subsequent forced landing, the airplane hit an embankment and was damaged. Examination of the airplane revealed two gallons of fuel in the right wing. The left wing fuel line was separated at the wing root with no evidence of fuel spillage at the accident site, and the fuel selector was found in the left wing fuel tank position. The mixture was found in the rich position, the magneto switch was on 'both,' and the flaps were found retracted. The engine manual indicated that at 2,400 rpm, full throttle, and mixture rich, the engine would consume 15 gallons per hour. With that rate of fuel consumption, the engine would have consumed 48 gallons of fuel during the 3.2 hour flight. The airplane's usable fuel capacity was 48 gallons.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.