Piper PA-28R-200 accident near Bethlehem, Georgia, June 16, 2002
On June 16, 2002 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N15143, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bethlehem, Georgia (Gwinnett County-Briscoe Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to follow operational procedures for the airplane, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation/fuel flow interruption. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain, resulting in a collision with an irrigation sprinkler during forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 16, 2002 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Bethlehem, Georgia · Gwinnett County-Briscoe Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N15143 · no longer on the register · serial 28R-7335027
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing steep turns at 3,000 feet MSL and pulled the power back to descend. At 2,100 feet MSL, the pilot added power, but there was no change in performance in the airplane. The pilot established glide airspeed toward a field and completed the emergency procedures, but engine power did not return. The airplane touched down in the field and sank deeply into the wet, plowed soil, and the left wing struck an irrigation sprinkler. Examination of the wreckage revealed the left main gear was collapsed, the nosewheel was separated, and the left wing sustained crush damage. Fuel leaked from the damaged wing and was contained by emergency response personnel; approximately 5 to 6 gallons was recovered from the left tank and 3 to 4 gallons was recovered from the right tank. The engine was examined and ran with no evidence of mechanical malfunction nor abnormalities. The Piper Cherokee II Information Manual states in Section 7-1, Operating Tips, Item 15: "The shape of the wing fuel tanks is such that in certain (flight) maneuvers fuel may move away from the tank outlet. If the outlet is uncovered, the fuel flow will be interrupted and a temporary loss of power may result."
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 647 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 599 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 9, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,967 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 16, 2002; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO360 C1C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LZU Lawrenceville GA at 7:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 pm from LZU, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.