- Date
- June 2, 1994, 16:10 local (20:10 UTC)
- Place
- Montgomery, NY
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9041PPiper PA-24-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 16, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940602013459A
- Case key
- 8924
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 pilot's mismanagement of the fuel supply with an improper fuel selector position which resulted in fuel starvation and the loss of engine power. A factor is the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight.
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
The instructor and student had completed instrument instruction and afterwards, the student, who was a private pilot, requested and they practiced crosswind landings. According to the instructor 'I was distracted by his perfomance and remiss in verification of fuel status in execution of before landing checklist. Power was lost on climbout. Additional check futile. Committed to off-field landing. Damage occurred on rollout through a ditch in terrain.' The FAA examined the airplane and revealed the left fuel tank was empty. An undetermined amount of fuel was in the right tank.
Factual narrative
On June 2, 1994, about 1610 hours eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-24-260, N9041P, an instructional flight, forced landed in an open field after the engine lost power during takeoff climb from Orange County Airport, Montgomery, New York. Visual meteorological conditions existed. The certificated flight instructor received minor injuries; the student pilot was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The local flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The instructor was giving dual instrument instruction to the student who was a certificated private pilot. According to the instructor, upon completion of the instructions, the student requested multiple landing practice in crosswind conditions. The instructor stated, "I was distracted by his performance and remiss in verification of fuel status in execution of the before landing checklist. Power was lost on climbout. Additional check was futile. Committed to off field landing. Damage occurred on roll out through a ditch in terrain."
The FAA interviewed the instructor and student who indicated they were using and exhausted the fuel from the left tank. According to the FAA, examination of the airplane revealed the left tank was empty. An undetermined amount of fuel was in the right tank.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9041P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-4504
- Airframe hours
- 4,019
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-D4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Quade'S Flight School
- Registered owner
- Quade'S Flight School
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 10, 1993
- Departed
- MGJ
- Destination
- MGJ · NY
- Airport
- MGJ · Orange County Airport, runway 26, 3,672 × 100 ft
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
- 41
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 990 total · 3 in this make and model · 972 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 15 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N9041P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.