Piper Aircraft PA-32R-301 accident near Oxford, Mississippi, August 4, 2008
On August 4, 2008 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Piper Aircraft PA-32R-301, registered N532MJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Oxford, Mississippi. 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
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of maintenance personnel's failure to tighten a fuel line fitting.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 2008 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Oxford, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper Aircraft PA-32R-301
- Registration
- N532MJ · registry record · serial 3246203
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was picking up the airplane following an engine overhaul. About 20 minutes into the flight home, the engine went to idle. The pilot set up for best glide and prepared for an emergency landing into a field. During the landing roll the airplane sustained substantial damage. During the visual examination of the engine, the lower fitting of the fuel supply line from the fuel injector servo to the fuel flow divider was observed loose. The "B" nut was marked and then tightened; the number of flats on the nut were counted and the nut was turned 8 flats before it was secure and tight. The loose "B" nut would have interfered with the fuel supply, resulting in a loss of engine power.
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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Fuel starvation during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,495 hours in all; 1,217 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,323 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 7, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,036 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 4, 2008; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M41 Holly Springs MS at 11:00 pm
- Destination: MBO Madison MS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from TUP, 5 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.