Piper PA-28-180 N15917

Summary

On 11 September 1987 at about 19:01 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N15917, operated by Newair Flight, Inc., was involved in an accident near Riverhead, New York, United States. 2 people were on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

11 September 1987 at 19:01

Classification

Accident

Location

Riverhead, New York, United States

Nearest airport

Navy Calverton (CTO)

Coordinates

40.9394, -72.6698

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N15917

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Newair Flight, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bidderford → New Haven

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC87FA249

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PIPER PA-28-180 EXPERIENCED A POWER LOSS DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION WHILE FLYING OVER THE LONG ISLAND SOUND. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO REACH SHORE PRIOR TO DITCHING. THE DITCHING WAS SUCCESSFUL AND BOTH OCCUPANTS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURIES. AFTER BEING IN THE WATER FOR A WHILE. THEY VOLUNTARILY SEPARATED AND ONE WAS EVENTUALLY PICKED UP AFTER BEING IN THE WATER 3 HOURS. THE OTHER OCCUPANT DROWNED AND WAS FOUND SEVERAL DAYS LATER. THE AIRCRAFT SANK AND WAS NOT RECOVERED. THE PILOT FAILED TO COMMUNICATE HIS SITUATION IN A TIMELY MANNER AND EVEN AFTER TELLING ATC THAT HE WAS LOW ON FUEL ACCEPTED A DESCENT WHICH REDUCED HIS GLIDING DISTANCE. IN ADDITION THERE WAS NO FLOTATION EQUIPMENT ON THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT SAID HE HAD PLANNED THE FLIGHT WITH A FUEL BURN OF 8-9 GPH. THE ACFT OWNER, WHO HAD PURCHASED THE ACFT 2 YRS PRIOR, STATED THAT HE ALWAYS FLT-PLANNED FOR 13 GPH WHEN FLYING CROSS-COUNTRY.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.