Piper PA-28-181 accident near Miamisburg, Ohio, January 4, 1995
On January 4, 1995 at about 4:11 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N8435P, was destroyed in an accident near Miamisburg, Ohio. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO SWITCH FUEL TANKS WHICH LED TO FUEL STARVATION AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 4, 1995 · about 4:11 pm local time
- Place
- Miamisburg, Ohio
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N8435P · no longer on the register · serial 28-8290004
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CLIMB, THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE LOST POWER. DURING AN INTENTIONAL MANEUVER TO AVOID A HOME, THE AIRPLANE STALLED, COLLIDED WITH TREES, AND FELL TO THE GROUND. RESIDUAL FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL AND ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP. NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL LINES FROM THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE ENGINE. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED ON THE RIGHT TANK. ABOUT 12 TO 15 GALLONS OF FUEL WERE RETRIEVED FROM THE LEFT WING, AND AN UNDETERMNED AMOUNT OF FUEL DRIPPED FROM THE LEFT TANK THROUGH A DAMAGED FUEL LINE. THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY. THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS TORN OPEN; NO FUEL STAINS WERE NOTED AROUND THE TEAR AND NO FUEL WAS NOTED ON THE FROZEN GROUND BELOW THE RIGHT FUEL TANK. FUEL AND AIRPLANE RECORDS REVEALED THE AIRPLANE HAD FLOWN 3.1 HOURS SINCE IT WAS LAST REFUELED. AT A 75% POWER SETTING, FUEL FLOW IS ABOUT 10.5 GALLONS PER HOURS. EACH FUEL TANK HOLDS 25 GALLONS OF FUEL, OF WHICH ONE GALLON IS UNUSABLE.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,034 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 53,802 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 6, 1994; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: I73 Dayton OH at 3:05 pm
- Destination: MGY OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 10°F (-12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from DAY, 6 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.