Piper PA-22-150 accident near Indian Trail, North Carolina, August 16, 2013
On August 16, 2013 at about 11:47 pm local time, a 1956 Piper PA-22-150, registered N6919B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Indian Trail, North Carolina (Goose Creek airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper preflight planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2013 · about 11:47 pm local time
- Place
- Indian Trail, North Carolina · Goose Creek · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-150, built 1956 · all PA-22-150s on the register
- Registration
- N6919B · registry record · serial 22-4194
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After departure for the cross-country flight, the airplane climbed to and then cruised at an altitude of 7,500 feet; it then climbed to and cruised at an altitude of 9,500 feet. Near the end of the nearly 5-hour flight, about 3 nautical miles from the destination airport, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot cycled the fuel selector from the left wing tank to the right wing tank and back, but engine power was not restored. During the subsequent forced landing, the airplane touched down and struck a barbed wire fence, which resulted in substantial damage to the wing and elevator, and then it came to rest upright. Examination of the left wing, right wing, and fuselage fuel tanks revealed no fuel in any of the fuel tanks. No fuel odor was noted, and no evidence of fuel spillage was found at the scene. The airplane was refueled, and the continuity of the 44-gallon fuel system was confirmed. Using the airplane's battery and fuel system, the engine started immediately, accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously without interruption. According to the Owners Handbook, the fuel consumption rate at 75-percent power was 9 gallons per hour at sea level, and consumption rates increased with altitude even with the mixture properly leaned.
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
- 100030 during abrupt maneuver
- 402192 during 402
- 402341 during 402
- 600440 during other
- 552470 during descent - emergency
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, none, APLN, none
- Flight time: 5,533 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 2.5 in the last 30 days; 2,715 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 19, 2013
- Medical certificate: class 1
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,048 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, February 14, 2013; 5,058 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 1,174 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: TUP Tupelo MS at 7:05 pm
- Destination: 28A Indian Trail NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 3 knots
- Sky: scattered at 4,600 ft
- Temperature: 66°C, dew point 59°C
- Altimeter: 30.120001 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from EQY, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA13LA364.