Piper PA-46-350P accident near Bowling Green, Kentucky, January 13, 1992
On January 13, 1992 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-46-350P, registered N9161K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bowling Green, Kentucky (Warren County Regional airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S PREMATURE FLARE, STALLING THE AIRPLANE WHICH RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE DUAL FUEL FLOW GAUGE FAILURES AND DETERIORATING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 13, 1992 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bowling Green, Kentucky · Warren County Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-350P · all PA-46-350Ps on the register
- Registration
- N9161K · registry record · serial 4622022
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING INITIAL CLIMB OUT FROM THE WARREN COUNTY AIRPORT ON AN IFR CLEARANCE, THE AIRPLANE HAD A DUEL FUEL FLOW GAUGE FAILURE. THE PILOT ELECTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT AND MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. THE PILOT STATED HE RECEIVED A SPECIAL VOR CLEARANCE DIRECT TO THE VOR, RUNWAY 030, AND PROCEEDED TO THE AIRPORT. HE STATED THAT HE PREMATURELY FLARED THE AIRPLANE AND IT STALLED, FALLING 30 FEET TO THE RUNWAY. THE DUAL FUEL FLOW FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED DURING THE POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,611 hours in all; 617 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 3,516 as pilot in command; 423 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 628 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 8, 1991; 66 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BWG at 1:35 pm
- Destination: LEX Lexington KY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 3, 6,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
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 BFO92LA019.