- Date
- November 23, 1985, 15:50 local (23:50 UTC)
- Place
- Tustin, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N5353YPiper PA-23-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851123057929A
- Case key
- 25023
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 plt's mechanic performed a pre-purchase inspection of the acft. No malfunctions were detected with the fuel system, & the mechanic informed the plt that the acft was overall 'in good condition.' Later in the day the plt purchased the acft, & after observing that its main fuel tanks were virtually full he took off. According to the plt, with full main fuel tanks the acft's endurance would be 2.8 hrs. During the flight the plt observed the main tanks' fuel gauges, & they indicated the fuel level to be at 1/2 & 1/4 capacity. 10 min later both engines lost all power, & plt made a forced ldg in an underlying soft field. Exam of the fuel tanks' bladders revealed that some of the snap fasteners designed to secure the tops of the bladders were excessively weather checked & had shrunk.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5353Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-2426
- Airframe hours
- 3,085
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A18B5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Edwin B. Dearborn
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 1984
- Departed
- CA · Madera, CA
- Destination
- SNA · Santa Ana, CA
- Airport
- SNA · John Wayne Arpt
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 152 in this make and model · 225 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,200 ft overcast
- 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.