Piper PA-28-180 N4750L

Summary

On 6 December 2004 at about 03:40 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N4750L was involved in an accident near Hammond, Louisiana, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 December 2004 at 03:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Hammond, Louisiana, United States

Nearest airport

Hammond Municipal Airport (HDC)

Coordinates

30.5500, -90.4000

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N4750L

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Houma → Hammond

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

DFW05FA028

1 person died.

A loss of engine power due to the pilot's in-flight mismanagement of the available fuel supply by his failure to switch fuel tank position, which resulted in fuel starvation. Factors were the low ceilings and the prevailing dark night conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 87-hour non-instrument rated private pilot departed on the return portion of a 58.7 nautical mile cross country flight at night in marginal VFR weather conditions, which included five miles visibility in mist and an overcast ceiling at 500 feet. As the pilot approached his destination airport, a witness who was an automobile mechanic, heard the airplane flying low overhead from south to north. Although he could not see the airplane, he said that it was flying "low" and that the engine sounded "good." Shortly after the airplane flew over his house, the engine started to "miss out" as if it was "starving for fuel." Examination of the airplane revealed that the cockpit, forward fuselage, and the inboard section of the left wing, including the fuel tank were consumed by post-impact fire. However, the right wing, including the fuel tank were undamaged. The fuel selector was found set to the right fuel tank position. No mechanical deficiencies were noted with the airplane or the engine that could have prevented normal operations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.