- Date
- September 4, 1983, 15:35 local (20:35 UTC)
- Place
- Punxsutawney, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N77321Cessna 120
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830904046309A
- Case key
- 35268
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
According to the pilot when he entered the aircraft he found that the master switch had been left on and the battery wasdown. He flew around the airport for about 45 min, to recharge the battery prior to departing for his destination. He arrived at his destination but was unable to find the airport after searching for about 30 min. The pilot was given a d/f steer to the airport and began to experience fuel exhaustion. He switched to the other tank which showed 1/8 full and continued toward destination. The flight experienced fuel exhaustion and landed in a corn field.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N77321
- Reported as
- Cessna 120
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11763
- Airframe hours
- 1,256
- Engine
- Continental C-85, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Maurice Leo Connor
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 26, 1983 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- Burlington, NJ
- Destination
- Punxsutawney, NJ
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 418 total · 64 in this make and model · 344 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.