Piper PA38 accident near Jacksonville, Florida, June 9, 2007
On June 9, 2007 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Piper PA38, registered N193BA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jacksonville, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to perform adequate pre-flight fuel consumption calculations, which resulted in a loss of power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 2007 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Jacksonville, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA38 112 · all PA38s on the register
- Registration
- N193BA · registry record · serial 38-78A0083
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed his home airport and flew to a nearby airport (a 10 minute flight), where he performed three touch-and-go landings. About 5 minutes into the return flight, the airplane's engine began to "cough and sputter," and then lost power. The pilot attempted, unsuccessfully, to restart the engine, and then performed a forced landing to a beach, during which the airplane was substantially damaged. The accident flight was the second flight since the pilot completed an annual inspection on the airplane. Prior to the annual inspection, the airplane was not flown for 14 years. The airplane was last refueled on the morning of the accident with 20 gallons of fuel, and was then flown for approximately 90 minutes, prior to the accident flight. Examination of the airplane revealed five gallons of fuel in the right fuel tank, and the left fuel tank was empty. No fuel was observed in the input line to the fuel pump, the output line from the fuel pump, or the gascolator. The airplane's fuel consumption was between 7 to 10 gallons per hour.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,058 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 1,996 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,788 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: HEG Jacksonville FL at 8:50 pm
- Destination: CRG Jacksonville FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from JAX
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.