Piper PA-28-181 accident near Rosenberg, Texas, August 2, 2023
On August 2, 2023 at about 8:59 pm local time, a 1977 Piper PA-28-181, registered N38483, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Rosenberg, Texas (Lane Airpark airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s improper fuel management that resulted in fuel exhaustion, a total loss of engine power, and a subsequent forced landing and landing overrun at an alternate airport.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 2023 · about 8:59 pm local time
- Place
- Rosenberg, Texas · Lane Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181, built 1977 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N38483 · registry record · serial 28-7790556
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot stated that in preparation for his solo cross-country flight, he reviewed his flight planning with his flight instructor. He said he flew to the destination airport, where he performed one approach and landing, followed by flight maneuvers north of the airport, and then landed. The pilot shut the airplane down to use the restroom. Prior to departure from the destination airport, he did not visually check the airplane fuel level through the fuel filler ports. During the return flight, he visually observed the fuel quantity and was decreasing rapidly, and he decided to land at an alternate airport. During the approach to the alternate airport, the engine sputtered and lost power. He landed the airplane with a tailwind and strongly applied the brakes to try to slow the airplane down as soon as possible. The airplane overran the runway and impacted a fence and construction equipment that resulted in substantial damage to both wings. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no useable fuel in the airplane fuel tanks.
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 exhaustion during enroute defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, student
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 55.7 hours in all; 10.8 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 14, 2023; 12,546.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 5,883 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5C1 San Antonio TX at 7:34 pm
- Destination: LVJ Houston TX
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 13, 3,020 ft by 35 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 100°F (38°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from SGR, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on November 30, 2023. 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 | Email Request for Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record A�� Memorandum of Conversation Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� Record of Conversation FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Flight Track Data | PDF, 16 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photos | PDF, 2 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.