Piper PA28 accident near Lawrenceville, Georgia, November 24, 2015
On November 24, 2015 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 1971 Piper PA28, registered N3971R, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Lawrenceville, Georgia (Gwinnet County Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's inadequate fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power during initial climb due to fuel starvation and a subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 24, 2015 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lawrenceville, Georgia · Gwinnet County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 180, built 1971 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N3971R · registry record · serial 28-7105076
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and student pilot departed their home airport with about 34 gallons of fuel on board the airplane for the planned approximate 60-mile, round-trip, cross-country instructional flight. The student pilot reported that, after landing at the destination airport, they completed two more full-stop landings before returning to, and then landing uneventfully at, the departure airport. The flight instructor wanted the student pilot to complete one more landing before concluding the lesson. The student stated that, during the subsequent takeoff, everything seemed normal until he turned the airplane onto the crosswind leg of the airport traffic pattern, at which time the engine lost all power. The flight instructor then took control of the airplane. The flight instructor reported that he chose not to attempt to turn back and glide to the airport because the airplane was about 500 ft above ground level. He subsequently performed a forced landing straight ahead into trees. Both fuel tanks were compromised during the impact, and the fuel quantity at impact could not be determined. Subsequently, an engine test run was performed with no anomalies noted. Both pilots reported that they did not switch the fuel tanks following the total loss of engine power. The student pilot further stated that the airplane "ran out of gas." Review of performance information for the make and model airplane revealed that, based on the reported fuel onboard the airplane at the beginning of the day, it should have had between 5 and 10 gallons of fuel remaining at the time of the accident. Although the amount of fuel in each fuel tank could not be determined, the loss of engine power likely resulted from a lack of available fuel in the selected tank. Because the flight instructor was the pilot-in-command and told the student to conduct another landing, he should have been more cognizant of the fuel level in the tanks.
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 starvation during initial climb defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Instructor/check pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Flight instructor
- Certificate: 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: 900 hours in all; 999,999 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 30 hours in all; 999,999 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,783 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 13, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 2,855 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LZU Lawrenceville GA at 9:00 pm
- Destination: LZU Lawrenceville GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.35 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from LZU, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on February 4, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Interview Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Excerpts from Maintenance Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Excerpt from Piper Cherokee Owner's Handbook | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.