Piper PA-28-181 accident near Auburn, Alabama, June 9, 1999
On June 9, 1999 at about 3:10 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N983DB, was destroyed in an accident near Auburn, Alabama (Auburn 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
The pilot' failure to refuel the airplane prior to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 1999 · about 3:10 pm local time
- Place
- Auburn, Alabama · Auburn · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N983DB · registry record · serial 2843247
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
At an altitude of between 1,500 and 3,000 feet the airplane's engine lost complete power. The pilot attempted to land in a field, and struck the ground with the right wing. The wing separated, the airplane cartwheeled, and came to rest right side up. Several pilots heard the pilot on the Auburn UNICOM frequency, say that he was in distress, that he was experiencing engine trouble, and thought he might be out of fuel. Examination of the airplane's fuel tanks revealed about 8 ounces of fuel in the left wing, no fuel in the right fuel tank, and there were no signs of spilled fuel in the accident area. The Hobbs meter reading was 12.4 hours when the airplane was last fueled. The Hobbs meter reading after the accident was 16.2 hours, for a total of 3.8 hours total Hobbs time since the last refueling. The usable fuel for this airplane was 48 gallons. The calculated burn-rate for this flight was 12.63 gallons of fuel per hour. A burn rate of 12.63 gallons per hour, times 3.8 hours, equals 47.99 gallons of fuel used. Examination of the carburetor fuel screen revealed that it was clean and free of debris.
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; 15 in this make and model; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAL Lakeland FL at 11:30 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,933 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from AUO, 6 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.
Other NTSB records under N983DB the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.