Piper PA-28-180 accident near Portland, Maine, May 6, 2005
On May 6, 2005 at about 6:25 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N238PP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Portland, Maine. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to the pilot's improper decision not to land and refuel resulting in fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 6, 2005 · about 6:25 pm local time
- Place
- Portland, Maine · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N238PP · no longer on the register · serial 28-5601
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a cross-country flight. The airplane had been airborne for about 3.5 hours, and as the flight neared the airport, the engine sputtered. The pilot immediately turned on the electric fuel pump and switched from the right fuel tank to the left. About 1/2-mile from the runway, the engine lost total power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a marsh area, where the airplane came to rest inverted. The pilot stated that, "I am amazed at the low quantity of fuel I left in the left tank, the first tank used, when I initially switched tanks about half-way during the flight. There was probably a fraction of a gallon left! Obviously, if I had run the tank completely dry at altitude with only half of the trip complete, I would have realized refueling was necessary en-route."
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: 325 hours in all; 325 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9G0 Buffalo NY at 3:00 pm
- Destination: PWM Portland ME
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.