Piper PA28 accident near Louisville, Kentucky, April 7, 2010
On April 7, 2010, a Piper PA28, registered N4247T, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Louisville, Kentucky (Louisville International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel management.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 2010
- Place
- Louisville, Kentucky · Louisville International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 180 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N4247T · no longer on the register · serial 28-7205117
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he received a weather briefing prior to departing on the 277-nautical mile cross-country flight. The airplane's departure fuel level was "above the tabs, but not full." Information from the manufacturer's Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) indicated that, when the fuel level was at the tabs, the fuel quantity was 35 gallons. The maximum usable fuel capacity was 48 gallons. The pilot stated that the weight of his baggage precluded him from operating with full fuel tanks, and that he encountered "stronger than expected headwinds" along the route of flight. About 2030, when the airplane was 1 mile from the destination airport, the engine "quit." The pilot executed a forced landing on a road, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. Examination by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that each of the airplane's fuel tanks contained approximately 1 to 2 cups of fuel. No fuel was found in the gascolator or the carburetor. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures, and in an interview with the FAA inspector, the pilot stated that he should have stopped for fuel en route. According to the POH, at 75 percent power, and operating with a "lean mixture," the airplane's fuel consumption rate was 10 gallons per hour.
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 approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern final)
- 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,100 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,354 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 18, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Y47 New Hudson MI at 8:05 pm
- Destination: SDF Louisville KY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 190° at 14 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.72 inHg
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.