Piper PA-28-180 N8823J

Summary

On 8 August 2023 at about 17:55 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N8823J was involved in an accident near Ritchfield, Utah, United States. 2 people were 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

8 August 2023 at 17:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Ritchfield, Utah, United States

Coordinates

38.6205, -112.2286

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N8823J

Category

Airplane

Year built

1965

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Livermore → Northumberland

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR23LA308

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper preflight planning that resulted in the loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, after flying for about four hours, the engine began to surge. Concerned about the fuel condition, he switched to the other fuel tank and turned toward a highway for a potential emergency landing. While descending, the engine experienced surges again and then sputtered, followed by a complete loss of engine power. The pilot noticed that both fuel tank gauges were showing empty. While maneuvering over the highway for a forced landing, the airplane’s right wingtip collided with a semi-truck, causing the airplane to strike the highway and veer off into a median. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.