Piper PA-28-181 accident near Marshfield, Massachusetts, July 9, 1995
On July 9, 1995 at about 5:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N9143Y, was destroyed in an accident near Marshfield, Massachusetts. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper preflight planning/preparation, inaccurate fuel consumption calculations and failure to refuel, resulting in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent collision with trees during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 1995 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Marshfield, Massachusetts
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N9143Y · no longer on the register · serial 288690026
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE SOLO CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE STUDENT PILOT PERFORMED A TOUCH AND GO LANDING AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT AND STARTED TO RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. DURING THE RETURN TRIP, THE ENGINE LOST TOTAL POWER, AND THE PILOT PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING. THE PILOT STATED, '...I PROCEEDED BACK [TO MARSHFIELD] AND RAN OUT OF FUEL APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES SHORT OF THE RUNWAY....' ADDITIONALLY, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY 'REFUELING.' THE FAA INSPECTOR'S STATEMENT STATED, '...NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKAGE AT THE SCENE....' ADDITIONALLY, APPROXIMATELY 2 GALLONS OF FUEL WERE FOUND, WHICH CONSISTED OF 1 GALLON IN EACH, THE RIGHT AND LEFT, FUEL TANK.
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: student
- Flight time: 90 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 12 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,477 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 1, 1995; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Shoreline Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: 3B2 at 1:30 pm
- Destination: 3B2
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 9 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:00 pm from NZW, 12 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.