Piper PA-28 accident near Tanner, Alabama, November 2, 2022
On November 2, 2022 at about 5:07 pm local time, a 1963 Piper PA-28, registered N8667W, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Tanner, Alabama (Pryor Field Regional). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate inflight fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 2, 2022 · about 5:07 pm local time
- Place
- Tanner, Alabama · Pryor Field Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28 235, built 1963 · all PA-28s on the register
- Registration
- N8667W · no longer on the register · serial 28-10193
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the cross-country flight he noticed his fuel consumption was higher than he had expected. After entering the traffic pattern at the destination airport, and while turning from base to final, the engine “sputtered.” He switched from the right to the left fuel tank and attempted to restart the engine, however, engine power was not restored. The pilot conducted a forced landing in a field and touched down hard short of the runway threshold, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the airplane after the accident was unable to verify the presence of fuel in either the right or left fuel tanks. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and that he needed to, “Establish a not to exceed minimum fuel level for continued flight.”
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 defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 158 hours in all; 61 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 76 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 15, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,856.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 24, 2022; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B4B5 (piston); 5,856 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MLJ Milledgeville GA at 3:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from DCU, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KDCU 022153Z AUTO 21003KT 10SM CLR 23/08 A3021 RMK AO2 SLP227 T02330083=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on February 23, 2023. 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/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� FAA Fuel Examination | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photographs | 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.