- Date
- July 11, 1990, 09:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Yarmouth, MA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N83968Piper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900711066129A
- Case key
- 36686
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
A power loss due to fuel starvation. Factors related to the accident were: improper emergency procedures by the pilot and an improperly reading fuel gauge.
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 departed with approximately 36 gallons of gas on board. After flying .9 hours, he had a power loss and ditched the airplane in the ocean at a beach. Post crash examination of the airplane disclosed the right tank held 1 quart of fuel and the left tank over 15 gallons. The pilot had been flying on the right tank. Additionally the right fuel tank gauge was found to be inaccurate. After the accident the pilot realized he had been switching tanks too fast for the engine to resume normal running.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N83968
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8116245
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D36, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Stephen F. Butler
- Registered owner
- Stephen F Butler
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- HYA · Barnstable, MA
- Destination
- HYA
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
- 65
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 121 total · 9 in this make and model · 51 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 10 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.