- Date
- March 12, 1982, 12:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Syracuse, NY
- Injuries
- 5 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N260BBPiper PA-32
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 12, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820312004709A
- Case key
- 72775
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 pilot took off on a VFR flight plan with a litter patient and 3 other passengers onboard. The right main fuel tank was used for about the first 30 minutes of flight, then the pilot switched to the left main tank. While en route, an IFR flight plan was obtained when the destination weather did not improve to VFR conditions as forecast. The pilot reported that before descending into the clouds for an ILS approach, he performed a before landing check and switched back to the right main fuel tank. The engine lost power abruptly while on the approach. The pilot believed that he switched to the right tip tank, and then later, back to the right main tank, while attempting to start the engine. As the aircraft broke out of the clouds, the pilot attempted to maneuver to a clearing, but the plane struck trees and crashed. The fuel selector was found positioned to the left tank which had about 3 pints of fuel remaining.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N260BB
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7400045
- Airframe hours
- 2,131
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-E435, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Professional Pilots Inc.
- Registered owner
- Jonanna Jones
- Departed
- W16 · Winchester, VA
- Destination
- Mccollum, GA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SYR · Syracuse
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
- 57
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 6,840 total · 105 in this make and model · 5,530 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 8 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 99 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SYR, 2 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.