Piper PA-28-161 accident near St. Marys, Georgia, May 31, 2004
On May 31, 2004 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N8149Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. Marys, Georgia. 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 failure to use carburetor heat when weather condition were favorable for the for the formation of carburetor ice. .
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 2004 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- St. Marys, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N8149Q · no longer on the register · serial 28-8016253
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While climbing to cruise, at 2800 feet, the pilot stated the engine lost power. The pilot trimmed for the best glide rate and selected an area of beach to land on. The pilot went through the emergency procedures, but his efforts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. The airplane landed successfully, but during landing roll encountered a large pool of standing water, and the nose gear collapsed. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to the accident. Examination of the airplane revealed the nose gear collapsed, the engine mounts were broken, the right wing was damaged and detached from the fuselage. There were 17 gallons of fuel recovered from the right fuel tank and 10 gallons of fuel were recovered from the left fuel tank. Further examination found no blockage in the exhaust, no defects with either magneto and a functional check of the engine was accomplished. At the time of the accident, the nearest weather facility reported clouds at 2500 feet, temperature at 29-degrees Celsius and the dew point at 24-degrees Celsius. The weather conditions were favorable for the formation of ice. According to Advisory Circular 20-113, the pilot is advised to, "remain alert for indications of induction system icing during takeoff and climb-out, especially when the relative humidity is above 50 percent, or when visible moisture is present in the atmosphere."
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: foreign licence, private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 116 hours in all; 46 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 52 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 25, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,058.4 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 6, 2004; 52.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-038 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ormond Beach Aviation, INC
The flight
- Departed from: 09J Jekyll Island GA at 1:15 pm
- Destination: OMN Ormond Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from KJAX, 18 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.
Other NTSB records under N8149Q the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.