Event ATL04LA039

Factual narrative

On November 22, 2003, at 1700 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28R, N5041T, registered to and operated by a private pilot collided with the ground in a residential area near Columbia, South Carolina. The personal flight operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the pilot was not injured. The flight departed Westover Air Force Base, in Springfield, Massachusetts, at 1210 on, November 22, 2003. According to the pilot, he departed Springfield en route to Aiken, South Carolina. After the departure, the pilot flew nonstop to Columbia, South Carolina. When the pilot established radio contact with Columbia Approach Control, the pilot requested radar vectors to the nearest airport for fuel. According to the pilot, after flying 5.2 hours, he believed there were still about 10 gallons of fuel on board the airplane. As the pilot maneuvered for an approach to Columbia -Owen Downtown Airport, the engine lost power and quit. The pilot maneuvered for an emergency landing and the airplane collided with the ground in a residential area 1/2 mile southeast of the airport. The post-accident examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane rested in the backyard of a single family adjacent to a storage shed. The airplane was resting on its right side with the left wing perpendicular to the ground. A small quantity of fuel drained from the left wing root area. During the visual examination of the fuel tanks, no fuel was recovered from either tank. According to the pilot operating handbook, approximately two gallons of the 50 gallon fuel capacity are not usable, According to the pilot, the flight departed with 50 gallons of 100 low lead aviation fuel. The pilot did not report a mechanical problem with the airplane prior to the accident. According to the pilot, after flying 5.2 hours, he believed there were still about 10 gallons of fuel on board the airplane. As the pilot maneuvered for an approach to Columbia -Owen Downtown Airport, the engine lost power. The pilot maneuvered for an emergency landing and the airplane collided with the ground in a residential area 1/2 mile southeast of the airport. The post-accident examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane rested in the backyard of a single family adjacent to a storage shed. The airplane was resting on its right side with the left wing perpendicular to the ground. A small quantity of fuel drained from the left wing root area. During the visual examination of the fuel tanks, no fuel was observed in either tank. According to the pilot operating handbook, approximately two gallons of the 50 gallon fuel capacity are not usable, According to the pilot, the flight departed with 50 gallons of 100 low lead aviation fuel. The pilot did not report a mechanical problem with the airplane prior to the accident. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12