Piper PA-28-151 accident near Brownsville, Texas, January 27, 1997
On January 27, 1997, a Piper PA-28-151, registered N8478F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brownsville, Texas (Brownsville airport). It was an instructional 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 failure to refuel the airplane which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power. Factors were the pilot's lack of preflight planning and 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 27, 1997
- Place
- Brownsville, Texas · Brownsville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-151 · all PA-28-151s on the register
- Registration
- N8478F · no longer on the register · serial 28-7715269
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the landing approach, the airplane was about 1 mile from the runway threshold at an altitude of 500 feet AGL when the engine lost power. Total flight time was 4 hours and 18 minutes. The chief flight instructor found that the fuel tanks were intact with no fuel in the tanks or the gascolator. The assistant director of maintenance inspected the engine and the fuel system and found no discrepancies. The operator reported that the student was unable to produce any flight planning or fuel planning for the return flight. An ATC controller stated that the pilot had terminated flight following prior to maneuvering for approximately 15 minutes before proceeding to the destination airport. En route winds aloft were 150 degrees at 14 knots. The operator conducted a test flight in the make and model of airplane along the flight route with a headwind of 3 knots and the fuel used was 38.4 gallons (total usable fuel 46 gallons). The operator stated that 13 knot headwinds and 15 minutes of flight maneuvering would have deplete the remaining 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
- Flight time: 130 hours in all; 127 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 53 in the last 30 days; 71 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,370 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 6, 1997; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Southwind Aviation Academy
The flight
- Departed from: ACT Waco TX at 8:07 pm
- Destination: BRO
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 17, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.