Piper PA-28-180 accident near Erie, Pennsylvania, August 14, 2005
On August 14, 2005 at about 1:14 am local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N7534W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Erie, Pennsylvania (Erie International Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion on approach, and subsequent loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 2005 · about 1:14 am local time
- Place
- Erie, Pennsylvania · Erie International Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7534W · no longer on the register · serial 28-1463
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had planned a round-trip cross country flight, with several stops. The airplane was fueled the night prior, and the pilot completed five legs of the trip uneventfully. He did not purchase fuel at the third airport, and remarked about the price. Fuel was not available at the fourth airport, and the pilot did not utilize the after hours telephone number at the fifth airport. While en route to the sixth airport, the pilot reported fuel exhaustion to ATC, and subsequently performed a forced landing in a wooded area. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the left wing fuel tank was compromised. The right wing fuel tank remained intact, and contained about 16 ounces of fuel, with some water observed in the fuel sample. Review of an owner's handbook for the make and model accident airplane revealed that the fuel capacity was 50 gallons, and the engine consumed 10 gallons of fuel per hour at a 75-percent power setting, resulting in a 5-hour endurance. Examination of fueling logs revealed that the airplane had flown approximately 5.07 hours tachometer time, or 5.7 Hobbs hours, since the last refueling.
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: 228 hours in all; 196 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 187 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,532 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2005; 125 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JHW Jamestown NY
- Destination: ERI Erie PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 6,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 140° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 2:30 am from ERI, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.