Piper PA-32-260 accident near Millinocket, Maine, May 24, 2008
On May 24, 2008 at about 8:16 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-260, registered N4823S, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Millinocket, Maine (Millinocket Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 5 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to properly monitor fuel consumption during the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 2008 · about 8:16 pm local time
- Place
- Millinocket, Maine · Millinocket Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260 · all PA-32-260s on the register
- Registration
- N4823S · no longer on the register · serial 32-1254
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of a rented Piper PA-32-260 utilized 14 gallons per hour fuel consumption for the estimated 3-hour cross country flight. With five people and camping gear onboard, the pilot was able to fill both main fuel tanks, and partially fill the left tip tank for a total of 60 gallons of fuel. Following the takeoff, the pilot climbed the airplane to 5,500 feet, and set the power for approximately 65 percent. The mixture was leaned, and set about half way between full rich and idle cutoff. However, "within the first hour of flight," the pilot noted the engine oil temperature "near the upper end of the green zone," and added "about 1 inch of mixture control lever stroke." The pilot first exhausted the fuel from the left tip tank, then alternated utilizing the left and right fuel main tanks every 30 minutes for most of the remainder if the flight. About 30 minutes prior to arriving at the destination airport, while passing near an en route city, the pilot observed approximately 14 gallons of fuel remaining, which he equated to 1 hour of flight time. About half way between the city and the destination, the pilot descended to 3,500 feet, and shortly thereafter, the fuel was exhausted from the left tank. The pilot switched to the right tank, but about 2 miles from the destination, "fuel was exhausted and the engine quit." The pilot then glided the airplane toward the airport, and cleared trees, but the main landing gear clipped a perimeter fence before the airplane landed on a road and rolled into a ditch. Neither the pilot nor the Federal Aviation inspector on scene noted any preimpact mechanical anomalies. Another airport was located about 20 miles closer and 5 miles to the right of the course to destination airport. The pilot reported 154 hours of flight time and 16 hours in make and model. He also noted that, in hindsight, he wished he had calculated fuel burn prior to reaching the en route city.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (descent) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (descent)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 154 hours in all; 16 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,952 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Iflight International LLC
The flight
- Departed from: OXC Oxford CT
- Destination: MLT Millinocket ME
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 34
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.