- Date
- May 30, 1987, 19:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cooperstown, NY
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N59728Piper PA-31-350
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 24, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870530021629A
- Case key
- 30656
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 stated he departed farmingdale with two plus hours of fuel on board. After approximately 40-50 minutes of flight, the right low fuel pressure light and right fuel pump light flashed steady red. The pilot rechecked his calculations and determined he should have sufficient fuel on board. However, he elected to divert to the closest airport. Six miles from the airport both fuel warning lights illuminated and both engines quit. The pilot selected a field and executed a wheels up landing. Investigation revealed no fuel remaining in the tanks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N59728
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31-350
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31-7652007
- Engine
- Lycoming TI0-540-J2BD, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Seco Leasing Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 1986 · 49 hours before
- Departed
- FRG · Farmingdale, NY
- Destination
- UCA · Utica, NY
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 56
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 13,904 total · 1,696 in this make and model · 13,802 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °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.