Piper PA-28-181 accident near Firebaugh, California, March 24, 2009
On March 24, 2009 at about 1:00 am local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N1857H, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Firebaugh, California (Firebaugh airport). It was a personal 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
A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel planning and monitoring.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 2009 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Firebaugh, California · Firebaugh · map
- 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
- N1857H · no longer on the register · serial 28-7790348
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported departing with about 45 gallons of fuel onboard. She initiated a climb to 10,500 feet, and turned on course direct to the destination airport. About 3 1/2 hours into the flight, she checked the fuel gauges, and estimated that there was enough fuel remaining for about 1 hour 10 minutes of flight. About 15 minutes later the engine stopped producing power. The pilot observed one of the gauges was now reading empty, so she switched to the other tank; the engine then regained power, and she diverted to an alternate airport. During the landing approach, the engine then lost power again, and the pilot performed a forced landing in a plowed field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing during the accident sequence. Post accident inspection revealed that both tanks were intact and absent of fuel. No obvious sources of a fuel leak were noted. The pilot reported encountering strong headwinds during the flight, and further stated that she was not comfortable with the leaning procedure for the airplane type.
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 (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Fuel exhaustion during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring equip/instruments › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 122 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 58 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 11, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,751 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2009; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,558 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PSP Palm Springs CA at 9:00 pm
- Destination: RHV San Jose CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 3,102 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.