Piper PA-28-180 N7795N

Summary

On 23 June 2009 at about 15:57 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N7795N was involved in an accident near Sanborn, Iowa, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 June 2009 at 15:57

Classification

Accident

Location

Sanborn, Iowa, United States

Coordinates

43.2014, -95.7331

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N7795N

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Atkinson → Winner

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN09FA377

3 people died.

A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's improper fuel planning and failure to refuel.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Prior to the flight, the airplane was refueled with 12 gallons of fuel; however, the total fuel on board at the time of departure could not be determined. During the 3-hour cross-country flight, the airplane overflew several airports that had fuel services available. Witnesses, located near the accident site, observed the airplane flying low and heard the engine lose power, restart, and lose power again. The pilot executed a forced landing to a corn field, the airplane impacted a ditch, and was substantially damaged. No evidence of usable fuel was found in the airplane fuel tanks, or at the accident site. Examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.