Piper PA-28-161 accident near Tallahassee, Florida, May 16, 1996
On May 16, 1996 at about 2:09 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N9239B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tallahassee, Florida (Tallahassee Regional 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 mismanagement of fuel, by failing to reposition the fuel selector to the left tank after fuel was used from the right tank, which resulted in fuel starvation, loss of engine power, and a forced landing. A factor relating to the accident was: the lack of suitable terrain for an emergency landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 1996 · about 2:09 pm local time
- Place
- Tallahassee, Florida · Tallahassee Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N9239B · no longer on the register · serial 2841232
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After about 2 hours of flight time, the pilot was descending from about 1500' to about 1200' to remain in VFR conditions, when the engine lost power. Attempts to restore engine power were unsuccessful, and he was forced to land in a wooded area, where the airplane was damaged. The pilot reported that he had positioned the fuel selector to the right tank before flight and had not repositioned it until the loss of power occurred. Examination of the airplane revealed that the left wing fuel tank was nearly full and that the right wing fuel tank contained less than 6 ounces of fuel. Also, the fuel line to the carburetor was dry, and the gascolator was drained and found to contain only 10 cc's of fuel. No fuel leakage was noted from the right wing 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 100 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 44 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,141 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, May 15, 1996; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VRB Vero Beach FL at 12:05 pm
- Destination: TLH FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:30 pm from TLH, 22 miles away
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.