20260404006919I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Commander 114-B · Allentown, PA · April 4, 2026

Date: April 4, 2026 · 09:35 local
Place: Allentown, PA
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N114KJ
Reported as: Commander 114B
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-540-T4B5
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot

N114KJRegistered now · Commander 114-BS/N 14630 · Built 1995 Airframe modelCommander 114-B Engine modelLycoming IO-540 seriesReciprocating

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.

Approximately 25 minutes into the flight at a cruise altitude of 6,000 feet the engine had a sudden loss of power. The pilot stated the engine appeared to be making some power and notified ATC of turning back towards Allentown pa to land at airport xll. Pilot noticed a strong fuel smell in cabin and switched fuel tanks while using the boost pump with no change in engine power then the enigine quit entirely. Pilot realized he was not going to make it to xll and notified ATC of intention to perform emergency landing on Pennsylvania interstate I-78. Aircraft landed on I-78 in weisenberg township with no damage or injuries. Pilot exited the aircraft and noticed guel dripping from the rear engine area. Pilot turned the fuel selector to the off position and the fuel stopped dripping out of the cowling.

As the FAA filed it

APPROXIMATELY 25 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT AT A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 6,000 FEET THE ENGINE HAD A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT STATED THE ENGINE APPEARED TO BE MAKING SOME POWER AND NOTIFIED ATC OF TURNING BACK TOWARDS ALLENTOWN PA TO LAND AT AIRPORT XLL. PILOT NOTICED A STRONG FUEL SMELL IN CABIN AND SWITCHED FUEL TANKS WHILE USING THE BOOST PUMP WITH NO CHANGE IN ENGINE POWER THEN THE ENIGINE QUIT ENTIRELY. PILOT REALIZED HE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE IT TO XLL AND NOTIFIED ATC OF INTENTION TO PERFORM EMERGENCY LANDING ON PENNSYLVANIA INTERSTATE I-78. AIRCRAFT LANDED ON I-78 IN WEISENBERG TOWNSHIP WITH NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES. PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND NOTICED GUEL DRIPPING FROM THE REAR ENGINE AREA. PILOT TURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE OFF POSITION AND THE FUEL STOPPED DRIPPING OUT OF THE COWLING.