Piper PA-28-180 accident near Birmingham, Alabama, September 27, 1996
On September 27, 1996 at about 4:14 am local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N8803J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Birmingham, Alabama (Birmingham International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot-in-command's improper in-flight planning/decision for electing to continue the flight after observing that the fuel gauges indicated empty. Contributing to the accident was an improperly adjusted economizer jet and an out of adjustment float. Also contributing to the accident was unsuitable terrain encountered during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 27, 1996 · about 4:14 am local time
- Place
- Birmingham, Alabama · Birmingham International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N8803J · no longer on the register · serial 28-2751
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot used 8 gallons per hour fuel consumption for the the planned 4-hour flight, with enough fuel for 5 hours. About midpoint of the flight the flight descended to 6,000 feet from the planned 8,000 feet per the pilots request. Slight vectoring was required during the flight for weather avoidance. The passenger reported that when the flight was near the destination, the pilot observed that the fuel gauges were indicating empty, but after observing the city lights near the destination airport he elected to continue the flight. While being vectored onto final approach for a localizer approach the engine experienced a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. During the forced landing to a highway the airplane collided with unmarked power lines and a vehicle. The right rear seat passenger was ejected from the airplane during the impact sequence. A 2 foot by 2 foot fuel stain on the ground was noted beneath the left wing fuel tank, and 8 ounces of fuel were drained from the right wing fuel tank. Examination of the carburetor revealed worn material on the float needle valve, that the float adjustment was out of limits, and that the economizer jet was improperly adjusted. Examination of the right rear seat cable assembly revealed the swaged fitting was separated and not located. Corrosion and wear was not noted on the cable and the cable strands exhibited evidence of tensile overstress failure. Review of the aircraft logbooks revealed the carburetor was last overhauled in 1967, and was installed in January 1968. The engine was overhauled in 1976, but the carburetor had not been overhauled since 1967. A non-mandatory service bulletin requires carburetor overhaul every 10 years or when the engine is overhauled, whichever occurs first.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,370 hours in all; 222 in the last 90 days; 73 in the last 30 days; 1,292 as pilot in command; 860 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,867 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 27, 1996; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W88 Greensboro NC at 11:53 pm
- Destination: BHM
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 160° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:21 am from BHM, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.