Piper PA-28-140 accident near Mc Kinnon, Tennessee, August 2, 2008
On August 2, 2008 at about 1:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N4377J, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Mc Kinnon, Tennessee. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate fuel consumption calculations which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 2008 · about 1:40 pm local time
- Place
- Mc Kinnon, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N4377J · no longer on the register · serial 28-22763
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of a Piper PA-28-140 stated that he estimated he had about 12 gallons of fuel when he started the airplane and departed to attend a breakfast fly-in. He climbed to a cruising altitude of 2,500 feet for the planned 35 to 40-minute-flight. When he was between 3.5 to 4 miles from his destination airport, he initiated a descent down to 2,000 feet and leveled the airplane. The engine sputtered and he initially thought he had a problem with carburetor ice. He applied carburetor heat, turned the boost pump on, checked the mixture was full rich, pumped the throttle, and the engine stopped. He initiated a forced landing to the trees when he realized he could not land at the destination airport. The pilot stated he did not have any mechanical problems with the airplane before the accident and "the loss of engine power was due to fuel starvation." Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the left and right main fuel tanks were not ruptured. No fuel was present in the left main fuel tank and about 1 cup of fuel was present in the right main fuel tank.
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 enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 509 hours in all; 352 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 509 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,672 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2007; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 06TN Columbia TN at 1:00 pm
- Destination: M93 Mc Kinnon TN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from HOP, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.