On August 4, 1997, a Piper PA-28R-200 (registration N33341) was involved in an aviation accident near Ashland, OH. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's improper fuel management which resulted in fuel exhaustion and loss of engine power. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot performing the final leg of a night cross-country flight was forced to land in a corn field after the engine lost power near his destination.
What happened
The pilot was conducting the fourth and final leg of a night cross-country flight when the engine of the PA-28R-200 lost power. Upon sighting the airport, the pilot initiated a forced landing. During the final approach, the pilot determined that the aircraft was traveling too fast and was at too high an altitude to safely land on the runway. Consequently, the pilot continued straight ahead under control, eventually coming to rest in a corn field.
At the time of the incident, the hobbs meter indicated the pilot had completed 4 takeoffs and a total flight time of 4.9 hours. The aircraft has a useable fuel capacity of 48 gallons, with 2 gallons (256 ounces) classified as unusable.