Accident Piper PA-28-161 N6AU,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 180009
 
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Date:Saturday 10 July 2004
Time:02:00
Type:Silhouette image of generic P28A model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Piper PA-28-161
Owner/operator:Cmc Aviation Services Co
Registration: N6AU
MSN: 28-7816212
Year of manufacture:1977
Total airframe hrs:3656 hours
Engine model:Lycoming O-320-036
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Tallassee, Alabama -   United States of America
Phase: Landing
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Wetumpka, AL (08A)
Destination airport:Auburn, AL
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot stated that he performed a preflight on the airplane and that he observed the fuel tanks to be "half full". The pilot then took off from Wetumpka Municipal Airport and went to Autauga County Airport in Prattville, Alabama where he performed three touch and go landings and flew around the local area. The pilot went back to Wetumpka and performed four touch and go landings. From there, the pilot decided that he would fly to Auburn, Alabama. While en route, the pilot stated that he "fell asleep and ran the left fuel tank empty." His next memory was the impact with the ground in a cotton field. Examination of the airplane revealed the wreckage path was approximately 50 feet long on a heading of 210 degrees. All three landing gears were separated from the airplane and both propeller blades were bent aft with no rotational twisting of the blades. The engine mount was broken, the throttle control was found closed, the mixture was found full rich and the fuel selector was found on the left tank. No fuel was found in the left fuel tank, however 10 to 15 gallons of fuel were found in the right fuel tank.
Probable Cause: The pilot's mismanagement of the fuel supply, which resulted in fuel starvation and the subsequent loss of engine power. A factor was pilot fatigue and the unauthorized use of the airplane .

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: ATL04CA149
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20040730X01115&key=1

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
29-Sep-2015 14:25 Noro Added
21-Dec-2016 19:30 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
07-Dec-2017 18:11 ASN Update Bot Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]

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