Piper PA-28-181 accident near Fulton, Mississippi, September 28, 1997
On September 28, 1997 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N35652, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fulton, Mississippi. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The excessively rich mixture produced by the carburetor, which led to the fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 28, 1997 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fulton, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N35652 · no longer on the register · serial 8090123
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was flying from Waycross, Georgia to Hamilton, Alabama with full fuel tanks. After landing in Hamilton, he realized that he would not be able to obtain fuel, so he decided to continue west to Tupelo, Mississippi. Enroute to Tupelo, the engine sputtered and lost power. The pilot performed a forced landing. According to the FAA inspector, the airplane should not have run out of fuel, under normal circumstances. The carburetor was sent for examination, and it was determined that it was sending a rich fuel/air mixture into the engine. This rich mixture was most pronounced at cruise throttle settings.
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: 406 hours in all; 37 in this make and model; 57 in the last 90 days; 44 in the last 30 days; 97 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,116 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, September 11, 1997; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HAB Hamilton AL at 9:20 pm
- Destination: TUP Tupelo MS
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from TUP, 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.
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.