Piper PA 28RT-201 accident near Russell Springs, Kentucky, September 4, 2015
On September 4, 2015 at about 6:17 pm local time, a 1980 Piper PA 28RT-201, registered N8162S, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Russell Springs, Kentucky (Russell County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Maintenance personnel’s inadequate fuel injection servo maintenance due to an out-of-date AD list, which resulted in the fuel injection servo plug backing out of the threaded plug hole on the regulator cover of the fuel injection servo and subsequent total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 4, 2015 · about 6:17 pm local time
- Place
- Russell Springs, Kentucky · Russell County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28RT-201, built 1980 · all PA 28RT-201s on the register
- Registration
- N8162S · no longer on the register · serial 28R-8018042
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While the airline transport pilot was flying a practice instrument approach in visual meteorological conditions, the airplane incurred a total loss of engine power. During the forced landing, the fuselage and wings were substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the brass fuel injection servo plug had backed out of the threaded plug hole on the regulator cover of the fuel injection servo and was hanging below the fuel servo by a piece of safety wire. The missing plug likely resulted in the engine running excessively lean and losing power. In the 7 years between the manufacturer’s discovery that the fuel injection servo plug could back out of the regulator cover hole, and the accident, the manufacturer had published a safety alert, a mandatory service bulletin, and two service information letters (SILs) advising of the issue and recommending corrective actions to prevent a loss of engine power, all of which were applicable to the accident airplane. The Federal Aviation Administration had also published three airworthiness directives (ADs) mandating the specified changes developed by the manufacturer. Review of the maintenance records for the airplane and engine revealed no entries that indicated when the fuel injection servo had been last overhauled; if any of the actions published in the safety alert, mandatory service bulletin, SILs had been accomplished; or if any maintenance had occurred that would have required removal and reinstallation of the plug. Further review of the maintenance records also indicated that the mechanic who had been maintaining the airplane for about 10 years used a service provider to provide him with ADs; however, the AD list was not current, and none of the three ADs were included in the published AD list. Thus, the ADs had not been accomplished for the airplane.
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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel controlling system › Malfunction
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › Unscheduled maint checks › Not serviced/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › Unscheduled maint checks › Not inspected
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › Scheduled maint checks › Not serviced/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › Scheduled maint checks › Not inspected
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Maintenance personnel
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Scheduled/routine inspection › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,661 hours in all; 5,000 in this make and model; 72 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 17, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,575 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 24, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,749 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1-C6 (piston); 2,408 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LEX Lexington KY at 5:30 pm
- Destination: K24 Russell Springs KY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 6:15 pm from SME, 23 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.
Other NTSB records under N8162S 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.