Piper PA28 accident near French Lick, Indiana, November 28, 2020
On November 28, 2020 at about 6:37 pm local time, a 1962 Piper PA28, registered N5242W, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern base) near French Lick, Indiana (French Lick Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper in-flight decision making which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 28, 2020 · about 6:37 pm local time
- Place
- French Lick, Indiana · French Lick Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 160, built 1962 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N5242W · no longer on the register · serial 28-283
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported he’d departed from his home airport on a personal flight with 8 to 9 gallons of fuel in the left tank and 6 to 7 gallons of fuel in the right tank. He planned to use the left fuel tank for most of the flight, then switch to the right tank upon returning to the airport for touch-and-go-landings. The pilot reported that he did not switch to the right tank and during the third touch-and-go landing the engine lost all power. The pilot applied carburetor heat but did not remember to switch fuel tanks. The pilot made a forced landing into a wooded area near the airport and impacted trees and terrain, during which the right wing separated from the fuselage. The left wing, aft fuselage, and empennage sustained substantial damage.
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
- Fuel starvation during approach (VFR pattern base) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 291 hours in all; 4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 177 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,345.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 31, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 4,345 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FRH French Lick IN at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from KHNB, 21 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KHNB 281956Z AUTO 25003KT 10SM CLR 09/M03 A3021 RMK AO2 SLP233 T00941028
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on August 17, 2021. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Correspondence - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Correspondence - FAA | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 5 pages | 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.