Piper PA-34-220T accident near Lawrenceville, Georgia, March 14, 1991
On March 14, 1991 at about 2:47 am local time, a Piper PA-34-220T, registered N9191P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lawrenceville, Georgia (Gwinnett County airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE POOR INFLIGHT PLANNING BY THE PILOT WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION. FACTORS RELATED TO THIS ACCIDENT WERE THE UNFAVORABLE WINDS, THE DARK NIGHT, AND THE INOPERABLE AIRPORT RUNWAY LIGHTS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 14, 1991 · about 2:47 am local time
- Place
- Lawrenceville, Georgia · Gwinnett County
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-220T · all PA-34-220Ts on the register
- Registration
- N9191P · registry record · serial 3433132
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT DEPARTED WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK EN ROUTE TO MARIETTA, GEORGIA. STRONG HEAD WINDS WERE FORECASTED FOR THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. UPON REACHING THE FOOTHILLS VOR (ODF) THE PILOT DECIDED TO DIVERT TO ATHENS, GEORGIA IN ORDER TO OBTAIN FUEL. THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN UNDER WAY FOR FOUR HOURS AND FORTY-SIX MINUTES AT THIS POINT, AND THE FLIGHT PLAN REPORTED FIVE AND ONE HALF HOURS OF FUEL ON BOARD AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT DID NOT OBTAIN THE ATHENS WEATHER PRIOR TO MAKING HIS DECISION. CEILINGS AT THE ATHENS AIRPORT WERE LOWER THAN THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE FOR THE APPROACHES INTO ATHENS. THERE WERE OTHER AIRPORTS WITHIN THE REMAINING FUEL RANGE WHICH WERE VFR AT THE TIME. THE PILOT MADE AN APPROACH TO THE ATHENS AIRPORT AND ATTEMPTED AN APPROACH INTO ANOTHER AIRPORT ABOUT 17 MILES TO THE EAST OF ATHENS. THE PILOT DID NOT DECLARE AN EMERGENCY UNTIL AFTER THE MISSED APPROACH INTO THE ATHENS AIRPORT. HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO LOCATE THE LAWRENCEVILLE, GEORGIA AIRPORT, BUT WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE AIRPORT, AS THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE OUT OF SERVICE AT THE TIME. THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER AS A RESULT OF FUEL EXHAUSTION AND CRASHED LANDED IN THE CITY OF LAWRENCEVILLE ABOUT THREE MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 95 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days; 6,000 as pilot in command; 2,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,773 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental L/TSIO-360-KB (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Kirk Rudy, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: HPN White Plains NY at 9:30 pm
- Destination: 8A4 Marietta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast; ovct at 100 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 45°F (7°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.
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.