- Date
- July 2, 1989, 10:40 local (14:40 UTC)
- Place
- Gasport, NY
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5266TPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 16, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890702018999A
- Case key
- 36429
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Fuel contamination (water) and an inadequate preflight by the pilot, which resulted in the loss of engine power.
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 said that he performed a preflight and runup before takeoff. During climb out at about 450 feet, the engine quit running and the aircraft flew into trees. An inspection revealed that the carburetor and gascolator were more than half full of water. The fuel pumps and filters at the airport were found to be satisfactory.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5266T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7225381
- Airframe hours
- 2,230
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3, 140 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Armand L. Padula
- Registered owner
- Armand L Padula
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 8, 1988 · 40 hours before
- Destination
- W18 · Laurel, MD
- Airport
- 9G5 · Royalton, runway 25, 2,530 × 35 ft, asphalt
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 776 total · 566 in this make and model · 699 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.