Piper PA28 accident near Cartersville, Georgia, October 13, 2018
On October 13, 2018 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1967 Piper PA28, registered N180QT, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Cartersville, Georgia. 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 inadequate preflight and inflight fuel planning and his decision to continue flight without stopping for fuel, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 13, 2018 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cartersville, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 180, built 1967 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N180QT · no longer on the register · serial 28-3891
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on a cross-county flight in day visual meteorological conditions. According to the airplane's co-owner, who spoke with the pilot before he departed on the accident flight, the airplane had about 34 gallons of fuel onboard at the time of departure. Based on his experience, this was sufficient for about 2 hours 20 minutes of flight. He suggested that the pilot top off the airplane's fuel tanks before departure. When he watched the pilot taxi the airplane past the fuel facility and take off, he subsequently sent the pilot a text message stating, "Do hope you had a fuel stop planned." The pilot replied that he would stop if he needed to. GPS data indicated that the pilot did not land at any point between the departure airport and accident site, though he passed near one airport, and directly over another airport, both of which had fuel services available. A witness reported that the airplane's engine stopped then restarted. Another witness reported that the airplane's engine was surging. The airplane subsequently impacted power lines. The duration of the accident flight was 3 hours and 10 minutes. Postaccident examination revealed that both fuel tanks were intact; the left wing tank was empty, and the right wing tank contained residual fuel. Examination of the fuel system and the engine revealed no anomalies. Given the absence of fuel in the airplane's fuel tanks at the accident site, the duration of the flight, and the known quantity of fuel onboard at the time of departure, the accident is consistent with a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Although the pilot passed over two other airports with fuel available, he chose to continue the flight beyond the airplane's endurance given the fuel at departure.
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
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 339 hours in all; 262 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 20, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GNV Gainesville FL
- Destination: CZL Calhoun GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KVPC, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
14 documents, released by the NTSB on August 28, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FAA Record of Conversation with Airplane Co-owner | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum of Record for Wreckage Exam | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Site Photographs | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Aircraft Performance 13 - Attachment 1 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Flight Track Data and Fueling Options | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | GPS Data from Onboard Ifly Unit | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Statement from Ground Witness (Sechler) | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 8 | FAA Record of Conversation with Ground Witness (Guzowski) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Witness Statement from Delta Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Wire Impact Time from Georgia Power | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Statement from Ga Power Personnel Who Located Airplane Wreckage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 12 | Email from Lagrange Airport Regarding Fueling Stop | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 13 | NTSB Party Form - Piper | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 14 | NTSB Party Form - Lycoming | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.