Piper PA 28-180 accident near Sulphur, Louisiana, August 8, 2014
On August 8, 2014 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1971 Piper PA 28-180, registered N4286T, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Sulphur, Louisiana. It was a positioning flight under public-use (government) rules. 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to properly manage the airplane’s fuel supply, which led to fuel starvation and a total 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
- August 8, 2014 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sulphur, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28-180 180, built 1971 · all PA 28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N4286T · no longer on the register · serial 28-7205132
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the airplane's engine lost power about 5 minutes after takeoff and that the starter would not engage to facilitate a restart. He then executed a landing on a highway, during which the landing gear collapsed. After the accident, a first responder who held a pilot certificate examined the fuel tanks and found no fuel in the left fuel tank and that the right fuel tank was full. Additionally, the first responder found the fuel selector positioned to the left tank. No fuel leaks were detected. During recovery of the airplane, 22 gallons of fuel were drained from the right wing fuel tank and about 3 ounces of fuel were drained from the left wing fuel tank. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine, including the engine starter, revealed no preimpact anomalies. The pilot provided fuel planning information that indicated that the airplane should have had sufficient fuel to complete the flight on a single tank; however, the pilot did not position the fuel selector to the full tank. Therefore, it is likely that the engine power loss was due to fuel starvation.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,468 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 1,434 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 1, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,939 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CWF Lake Charles LA at 9:40 pm
- Destination: ORG Orange TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from CWF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.