Piper PA-38 accident near Pell City, Alabama, May 29, 1982
On May 29, 1982 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-38, registered N9956T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pell City, Alabama. It was a business 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 1982 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pell City, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38 · all PA-38s on the register
- Registration
- N9956T · registry record · serial 38-78A0260
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING USED TO RETURN WITH ANOTHER PILOT AFTER THE OTHER PILOT HAD FERRIED HIS AIRCRAFT FROM BESSEMBER, AL TO KNOXVILLE,TN. THE PILOT ESTIMATED THAT HE HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL TO RETURN, AND SINCE THE FBO WAS BUSY, HE ELECTED TO DEPART WITHOUT REFUELING. WHILE EN ROUTE, HE BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUEL QUANTITY AND ELECTED TO DIVERT TO PELL CITY, AL. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE QUIT RUNNING DURING THE DESCENT AND A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A WHEAT FIELD ABOUT 1/3 MILE FROM THE AIRPORT. REPORTEDLY, NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE AIRCRAFT.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,658 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Knoxville AL at 3:55 pm
- Destination: Bessemer AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 185°F (85°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL82DA146.