Piper PA-24-250 accident near Monroeville, Alabama, October 1, 1988
On October 1, 1988 at about 6:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N100J, was destroyed in an accident near Monroeville, Alabama (Monroe County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. 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
- October 1, 1988 · about 6:55 pm local time
- Place
- Monroeville, Alabama · Monroe County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N100J · registry record · serial 24-2152
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PLT, HE HAD REQUESTED THE ACFT BE FULLY SVCD WITH FUEL BEFORE TAKEOFF; HOWEVER, HE DID NOT VISUALLY CHECK THE FUEL. HE RPRTD THAT AFTER TAKEOFF, HE HAD FLOWN ABOUT 50 MIN WHEN HE NOTED THE RGT TANK, WHICH HE WAS USING, INDCD EMPTY. HE SAID HE NORMALLY FLEW FOR AN HOUR BEFORE SWITCHING TO ANOTHER TANK. BELIEVING HE HAD USED ONLY 9 GAL FROM THE 30 GAL TANK, HE ELECTED TO DELAY SWITCHING TO THE OTHER TANK. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE ENG LOST POWER. THE PLT MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE OTHER TANK, BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESTORE SUFFICIENT POWER TO SUSTAIN FLT. SUBSEQUENTLY, DRG AN EMERG LANDING, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES & A FENCE, THEN CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN. THE RGT TANK WAS FOUND TO BE EMPTY; ONLY 7 GAL OF FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE LEFT TANK.
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
- Flight time: 800 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,112 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 26, 1988; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1D5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MEI Meridian MS at 6:00 pm
- Destination: 2J9 Quincy FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ATL89LA002.