Piper PA-28-180 accident near Austell, Georgia, December 31, 2002
On December 31, 2002 at about 10:36 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N5118G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Austell, Georgia (Fulton County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight and in-flight planning/decision that resulted in fuel exhaustion, and subsequent loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 2002 · about 10:36 pm local time
- Place
- Austell, Georgia · Fulton County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N5118G · no longer on the register · serial 28-4698
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to air traffic control records, the flight was en route to Fulton County Airport, Atlanta, Georgia. The pilot contacted Atlanta Center air traffic control and reported that he was low on fuel. The airplane lost engine power about 12 miles north of Fulton County Airport. The pilot informed the air traffic controller that there was a field to the left and he would attempt to land. According to the air traffic controller this was the pilot's last radio transmission. Examination of the wreckage revealed the airplane came to rest in a residential yard 4.7 nautical miles northwest of Fulton County Airport. There was a eight ounces of fuel recovered from the fuel system.
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: 458 hours in all; 136 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 379 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 15, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,724 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 18, 2002; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DAN Danville VA at 6:35 pm
- Destination: FTY Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14, 4,158 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 150° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,500 ft; a few clouds at 1,400 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from FTY, 5 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.