Piper PA-20 accident near Elgin, South Carolina, March 25, 2011
On March 25, 2011 at about 5:52 pm local time, a Piper PA-20, registered N7746K, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Elgin, South Carolina. 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
A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion resulting from the pilot’s inadequate preflight planning. Contributing to the accident was that the pilot did not maintain an adequate airspeed, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 2011 · about 5:52 pm local time
- Place
- Elgin, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-20 · all PA-20s on the register
- Registration
- N7746K · registry record · serial 20-569
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was on a cross-country flight and no flight plan was filed. While en route, a witness observed an airplane flying at a slow airspeed between 200 and 300 feet above the ground behind his place of business. The engine was revving up and down as if it was running out of fuel. The witness observed the nose pitch up to an attitude between 35 and 40 degrees, and then the nose pitched straight down. The airplane went below the tree line, then there was an explosion and a postcrash fire. Examination of the crash site revealed no anomalies with the airframe, engine assembly, or accessories. The fuel selector was found positioned to the right main fuel tank. The right main fuel tank had ruptured and was absent of fuel. The airplane has two 18-gallon fuel tanks with a total capacity of 36 gallons. The cruise airspeed for the airplane is 126 mph. The straight-line distance from the departure airport to the crash site is 607 miles. According to the engine-operating manual, the engine will burn 7.2 gallons of fuel per hour at 75-percent power and 6.3 gallons of fuel per hour at 65-percent power. In a no wind condition at 75-percent power, it would take 4 hours and 50 minutes to fly from the departure airport to the accident site; at 65-percent power it would take 5 hours and 33 minutes to fly to the accident site. Based on a straight line, no wind, and non-maneuvering flight profile, available fuel range would be about 523 nautical miles. These calculations do not account for fuel consumed during the start, taxi, and take off sequence. Thus, the pilot exceeded the fuel endurance, and the engine lost power. Also, the high-pitch attitude of the airplane observed by the witness could have resulted in the stall.
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 (cruise) defining event
- Abrupt maneuver during maneuvering
- Off-field or emergency landing during maneuvering
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › (general) › (general) › Failure
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,100 hours in all
- Last flight review: July 9, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,743 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 8, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 1,738 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290 D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 92NY Bloecher Farm NY
- Destination: LAL Lakeland FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 5:15 pm from CDN, 15 miles away
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.