Piper PA-28-181 N4385L

Summary

On 24 March 1989 at about 18:15 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N4385L was involved in an accident near Pittstown, New Jersey, United States. 3 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 March 1989 at 18:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Pittstown, New Jersey, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-181

Registration

N4385L

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Richmond Hts → Princeton

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC89LA104

1 person was seriously injured.

IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING WHICH LED TO ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT OF THE PIPER PA-28 WAS AT CRUISE ALTITUDE WHEN HE REPORTED TO ATC THAT HE WAS RUNNING LOW ON FUEL. AT THAT POINT HE WAS 7 MILES FROM ALLENTOWN AIRPORT, BUT CHOSE TO CONTINUE TO HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT. ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER HE ASKED ATC TO GET HIM TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT BECAUSE FUEL WAS GETTING CRITICAL. ABOUT 23 MINUTES AFTER FIRST REPORTING LOW FUEL TO ATC THE ENGINE QUIT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS VECTORED TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AT 1100 FEET AND 2 1/2 MILES NORTH OF ALEXANDRIA AIRPORT. AFTER BREAKING OUT OF THE CLOUDS ON APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT THE AIRCRAFT STARTED CLIPPING TREES. THE PILOT FLARED THE AIRCRAFT TO SLOW THE FORWARD SPEED AND CRASHED INTO THE TREES.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.