Piper PA-28-181 accident near Sacramento, California, August 17, 1999
On August 17, 1999 at about 3:24 am local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N3004U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sacramento, California (Sacramento Intl airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was 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 ensure that sufficient fuel was on board to complete the flight, and, the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 1999 · about 3:24 am local time
- Place
- Sacramento, California · Sacramento Intl
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N3004U · no longer on the register · serial 28-7990331
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was airborne for just over 4 hours and nearing the destination airport when the engine sputtered. The pilot switched from the left fuel tank to the right fuel tank, and the engine restarted. The CFI then declared a low fuel state to the TRACON controller. About 8 miles from the airport, the engine sputtered and then quit. The CFI took the controls, attempted an unsuccessful engine restart, and force landed in a field. A sheriff's deputy who responded to the accident site visually checked the fuel tanks and noted that they were both empty. He further indicated no fuel was observed leaking from the airplane, or observed on the ground. The airplane was inspected on-scene. The fuel tanks and all system lines were intact. No fuel was found in lines from the gascolator to the carburetor. The flight instructor said in his written statement that the fuel burn was according to his preflight calculations.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 442 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 63 in the last 30 days; 442 as pilot in command; 240 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PDX Portland OR at 11:15 pm
- Destination: SMF CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from SMF, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N3004U 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.