Piper PA-28-180 accident near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, January 12, 1997
On January 12, 1997 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N33037, was substantially damaged in an accident near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's failure to refuel. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 12, 1997 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N33037 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7505113
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on an IFR flight plan with a fuel endurance of 5 hours and 24 minutes and with an estimated time en route of 4 hours and 23 minutes. The airplane ran out of fuel after 5 hours and 26 minutes of flight. The pilot reported to ATC that the airplane ran out of fuel 10 miles east of his destination. ATC provided a vector direct to the airport; however, the airplane was not able to reach the airport and landed on a four-lane road approximately 4 miles southeast of the airport. The airplane contacted a power line prior to touching down on the highway. The pilot stated that during the landing roll, the right main landing gear was torn off after impacting the median curb and the right wing sustained structural damage after impacting a residential mail box. Examination of the airplane's fuel system revealed that the fuel selector was in the left tank position and the right wing tank was found empty; however, the tank was compromised. The left wing fuel cell contained 1 cup of fuel.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 258 hours in all; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 210 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,750 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 30, 1996; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BKV Brooksville FL at 12:30 pm
- Destination: BTR Baton Rouge LA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from BTR, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.