Piper PA-28-180 accident near Fairview, Tennessee, October 3, 2007
On October 3, 2007 at about 5:48 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N7751N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fairview, Tennessee (Gallatin airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person 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 fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 2007 · about 5:48 pm local time
- Place
- Fairview, Tennessee · Gallatin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7751N · no longer on the register · serial 28-5196
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the Piper PA-28-180 had been flying for about 3 hours 35 minutes when the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion, and he performed a forced landing to trees. The airplane impacted 50-foot tall trees prior to striking the ground. The pilot reported that he had topped-off the airplane's fuel tanks, which had a total capacity of 44 gallons of usable fuel prior to the flight. He leaned the fuel mixture during the flight, and expected the airplane to have an endurance of 4.6 hours. Examination of the wreckage and accident site did not reveal any evidence that either fuel tank contained an appreciable amount of fuel at impact. The pilot reported 94 hours of total flight experience; which included about 13 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.
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: 94 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 31 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,350 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 2,440 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DTN Shreveport LA at 2:13 pm
- Destination: M33 Gallatin TN
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 4,600 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from BNA, 25 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.
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.