Piper PA-28-161 accident near Smoketown, Pennsylvania, January 28, 2006
On January 28, 2006 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N9183Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Smoketown, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper pre-flight planning and improper fuel consumption calculations, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a 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
- January 28, 2006 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Smoketown, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N9183Y · no longer on the register · serial 288616016
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was last fueled 1.4 hours prior to the accident flight. The pilot then flew for approximately 3 hours with the left fuel tank selected. When the airplane was approximately 12 miles from the destination airport, the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine unsuccessfully, and then performed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane impacted a barn. Examination of the airplane revealed the fuel tanks were ruptured, and no fuel was observed in the main fuel line from the firewall to the fuel pump, or the fuel line from the fuel pump to the carburetor. No mechanical anomalies were identified with the engine or airplane. According to the Piper PA-28-161 Pilot Operating Handbook, the airplane burned approximately 8.5 gallons per hour at a 75 percent power setting. The total fuel capacity was 48 useable gallons.
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: 120 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 55 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,003 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 1, 2005; 72 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,447 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Advantage Aero Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: WWD Wildwood NJ at 9:30 pm
- Destination: LNS Lancaster PA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from LNS, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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.