Piper PA-28-181 accident near Lee'S Summit, Missouri, December 1, 2004
On December 1, 2004 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N3575X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lee'S Summit, Missouri. It was a personal 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 inadequate in-flight planning/decision which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the loss of engine power. Contributing factors were the muddy terrain and the vegetation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 1, 2004 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lee'S Summit, Missouri · 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 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N3575X · registry record · serial 28-8090199
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted a muddy field during a forced landing due to a total loss of engine power about 1 1/2 hours after departure. The pilot stated that he performed a preflight inspection of the airplane in a hanger equipped with fluorescent lighting. He stated that he checked the fuel gauges, visually checked the fuel level in each tank, and that the fuel level in each fuel tank was "just under the tabs." Postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed that the fuel selector was positioned to the left fuel tank and no usable fuel was noted in either fuel tank.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 146 hours in all; 29 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LXT Lee'S Summit MO
- Destination: LXT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from LXT, 2 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.
Other NTSB records under N3575X the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.