Piper PA-25-235 accident near Perry Foley, Florida, February 21, 1998
On February 21, 1998 at about 10:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-25-235, registered N8648L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Perry Foley, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loose (or missing) carburetor drain plug and fuel line, due to an inadequate maintenance/annual inspection, which resulted in a fuel leak, fuel exhaustion, loss of engine power, and a forced landing. The obstructions (trees in the emergency landing area) were a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 21, 1998 · about 10:55 pm local time
- Place
- Perry Foley, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-235 · all PA-25-235s on the register
- Registration
- N8648L · no longer on the register · serial 25-5088
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During cruise flight, the engine lost power. The pilot then initiated an emergency landing on a dirt road, but during the landing, the airplane collided with trees and was damaged. According to an FAA inspector and the pilot, no fuel was remaining in the airplane, but it should not have run out of fuel. They stated the airplane should have reached its destination with adequate fuel reserves. The FAA inspector noted that the fuel tank did not rupture, and that it contained only residual fuel. Also, the FAA inspector noted that the carburetor bowl drain plug was missing, and the fuel line from the fuel tank to the firewall shutoff valve was loose and leaking. According to the FAA inspector, the airplane recently had an annual inspection after being in extended storage .
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: 1,300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 18, 1998; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B2B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Q26 Brownfield TX
- Destination: HWO Hollywood FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from GNV, 38 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.