- Date
- September 7, 1992, 16:32 local (20:32 UTC)
- Place
- Schaghticoke, NY
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N400RDPiper PA-30K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920907035439A
- Case key
- 11843
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The loss of total engine power due to fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident was the loss of total electrical power.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
About 1 hour after takeoff, the airplane lost all electrical power. The pilot contacted the tower by a hand held radio and reported the situation. It was decided that the flight would continue to albany, new york, where VMC existed. On approach into albany, about 2 hours after takeoff, both engines lost total power for undetermined reasons. The pilot made an emergency landing. During the impact sequence, the main and auxiliary fuel tanks were breached. A fuel quantity could not be determined. Three quarters of a gallon of fuel was found in both the tip tanks. Examination of the wreckage showed that all switches were in the off position except for the fuel pumps and magnetos switches. Further examination of the left alternator revealed that the number 2 field wire to the terminal was broken prior to impact. The right alternator was functional. The battery was found discharged. For this airplane, one alternator provides sufficient voltage but must be selected in order to operate the electrical system.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N400RD
- Reported as
- Piper PA-30K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30-1769
- Airframe hours
- 3,830
- Engine
- Lycoming IO 320-C1A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Marjo Flyers Incorporated
- Registered owner
- Marjo Flyers Incorporated
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 23, 1991 · 113 hours before
- Departed
- RKD · Rockland, ME
- Destination
- HPN · White Plains, NY
- Flight plan
- IFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 746 total · 143 in this make and model · 587 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 180° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ALB, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.