41.9855° N, 97.4351° WPlaced by OpenAirDocs at Karl Stefan Memorial Airport (OFK), within about a mile.Open in the map
Date
July 25, 1985 · 18:30 local
Place
Norfolk, NE
Airport
Karl Stefan Memorial
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N3553X
Reported as
Piper PA31350
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,800 total300 in this make and model35 in the last 90 days
From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Fuel siphoning identified as smoke. Engine shutdown and landed gear up in field. Unable to maintain altitude.
As the FAA filed it
FUEL SIPHONING IDENTIFIED AS SMOKE. ENGINE SHUTDOWN AND LANDED GEAR UP IN FIELD. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE.