N55641

On November 24, 2024, about 1630 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-28R-200, N55641, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Gillette, Wyoming. The pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot stated that earlier in the day he departed from Coos Bay, Oregon for a long cross-country flight, with two planned fuel stops. After making an uneventful first fuel stop, he continued on the flight and landed in Gillette about 1540 for the second fuel stop. He filled the airplane with full fuel and departed from runway 34. The airplane lifted off the runway surface and the pilot retracted the landing gear as he passed midfield. Immediately thereafter, he smelled fuel and the engine began sputter. He initiated a right turn back to the airport, but the airplane was unable to maintain altitude. The airplane touched down in a field and collided with a fence. During the accident sequence, the airplane incurred substantial damage to the wings.

The airplane had undergone maintenance a few days before the accident. The maintenance records indicated that there was an annual inspection performed on November 22, 2024 at a total time of 6861.5 hours which equated to 5.5 flight hours before the accident.