Piper PA-28-140 N1792T

Summary

On 9 September 1996 at about 22:15 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N1792T was involved in an accident near Closter, New Jersey, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 September 1996 at 22:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Closter, New Jersey, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N1792T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Caldwell → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC96LA183

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in a power loss due to fuel exhaustion, followed by the airplane striking a tree during a forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot had been airborne for 4 hours, 20 minutes, on an aerial observation flight, in a Piper PA-28-140, and was returning to his departure airport, when the engine lost power. He switched fuel tanks, but was unable to get the engine running again. He made a forced landing on a golf course. During the ground roll, the left wing struck a tree, which ruptured the fuel tank and bent the wing backwards. Examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing fuel tank was empty, and there was no evidence of a fuel spill from the ruptured left wing fuel tank. The pilot reported that he had departed with 36 gallons onboard and planned on a fuel burn of 7 gallons per hour.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.