Piper PA-32-300 accident near Holly Springs, Mississippi, February 24, 1998
On February 24, 1998 at about 1:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N8SX, was substantially damaged in an accident near Holly Springs, Mississippi (Holly Springs/Marshall CO airport). 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 total loss of power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's lack of adequate preflight planning and preparation and his failure to adequately refuel his airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 24, 1998 · about 1:15 pm local time
- Place
- Holly Springs, Mississippi · Holly Springs/Marshall CO
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N8SX · no longer on the register · serial 32-754-0015
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
For his takeoff, the pilot selected the 'LEFT TIP' position of the fuel selector valve for his fuel source. The left tip contained negligible fuel and immediately after takeoff, the engine lost power due to fuel starvation. The airplane crashed just off the departure end of the runway.
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: 367 hours in all; 149 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 360 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,019 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 15, 1998; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 K1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M41 at 1:15 pm
- Destination: PFN Panama City FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,201 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:52 pm from MEM, 32 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.