Piper PA-28-181 accident near Spartanburg, South Carolina, October 10, 1998
On October 10, 1998 at about 8:41 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N21491, was substantially damaged in an accident near Spartanburg, South Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to manage the fuel supply which resulted in fuel starvation to the engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 10, 1998 · about 8:41 pm local time
- Place
- Spartanburg, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N21491 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7990051
- 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, when the flight was approximately 11 miles from of Spartanburg, South Carolina, the airplanes left fuel gauge began to bounce between four and eight gallons. The pilot then switched the fuel selector valve to the right tank. After five to ten seconds, the engine began to sputter and a loss of engine power was noticed. The pilot immediately switched the fuel selector back to the left tank, pushed throttle and mixture back to full forward, and turned the fuel pump on. The pilot elected to land the airplane in a field when engine power could not be regained. The pilot initially chose to land on a road, but with the engine power regained momentarily, he aborted the landing and began a climbing left turn. As the turn was completed, the engine once again lost power and the pilot put the aircraft down in a field. After traveling approximately 130 feet after touch down, the airplane struck a fence and then traveled another 180 feet. There were no injuries to either the pilot or his wife and two children. When the engine was run after the accident it ran smooth and developed power for five minutes.
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: 232 hours in all; 55 in this make and model; 232 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,549 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4A9 Fort Payne AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:52 pm from SPA, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N21491 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.