# NTSB ERA20CA211: Piper PA22, N5044Z, Olean, NY, June 5, 2020 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report - Date: June 5, 2020, 19:00 local (23:00 UTC) - Place: Olean, NY - Coordinates: 42.248611, -78.36528 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.2486&lon=-78.3653&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 101418 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA20CA211 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/101418/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101418 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA211 ## Probable cause A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-22-108, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=7102204), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-22-108, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=7102204), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) ## Analysis The student pilot reported he had planned a 17 nautical mile trip to fuel the airplane. He estimated the right wing fuel tank was 1/4 to 3/8 full, which he believed was sufficient for the flight, and that the left tank contained about 1 gallon of fuel. While on approach, he moved the fuel selector to the left tank for landing. He stated the engine ran “poorly”, so he switched back to the right tank, and the engine “started back up and quit 3 times.” He prepared for an off-field landing, during which the airplane stuck trees inside the airport perimeter fence, short of the runway. Following the accident, the pilot advised a Federal Aviation Administration inspector that the airplane had not undergone an annual inspection for 2 to 3 years. At the time he was interviewed by the inspector, he did not have his pilot or maintenance records for the airplane available. The pilot did not submit a National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report Form 6120.1. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector performed a cursory examination of the wreckage after the accident, after it had been recovered from the accident site to a hangar. The amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tanks after the accident was not measured. The inspector confirmed that both wings and the fuselage were substantially damaged. The quantity of fuel onboard the airplane was not quantified nor were the airframe or engine examined in any greater detail. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5044Z](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5044Z-2021-05-08), registration cancelled 2021-05-08, S/N 22-8666, built 1961 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA22 (108) - Registry model: [Piper PA-22-108](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-22-108) (registry code 7102204) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-235 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (registry code 41505, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 22-8666 - Year built: 1961 - Engines: Lycoming O-235 SERIES 108 hp reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: D23, Arcade, NY - Destination: OLE, Olean, NY - Flight plan: Unknown - Airport: OLE, Cattaraugus County-Olean, runway 22, 4,800 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 71; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, unknown; seat: left; flight hours: 750 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 250° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 57 °F - Altimeter: 29.87 inHg - Observed at: OLE ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20200605010049A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200605010049A), Jun 5, 2020: Piper PA-22-108, Ischua, NY, Substantial damage. On 6/5/2020 at approx., 1830, N5044Z departed D23 for ole. While on approach to ole the pilot switched from the right to the left fuel tank. At that time the… ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 20, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101418. 3.2 MB in all. - Pilot's statement (item 1, PDF, 1 page, 1.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9910944&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=01-02%20Pilot%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record - FAA inspector (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 143 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9910534&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=01-03%20MFR%20FAA%20Inspector_ERA20CA211-Rel.pdf - Police report (item 3, PDF, 3 pages, 216 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9910985&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=01-04%20Police%20Report_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photo array (item 4, PDF, 4 pages, 4 photos, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9910122&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=06-01-%20photo%20array_20CA211-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record - investigative notes (item 5, PDF, 2 pages, 202 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11835341&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=01-04%20MFR%20Investigative%20Notes-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.