- Date
- December 26, 1994, 22:34 local (Dec 27, 1994, 03:34 UTC)
- Place
- Lancaster, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9457LGrumman American AA-1A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report August 21, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941226042169A
- Case key
- 38914
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
The pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision, which resulted in fuel exhaustion due to an inadequate supply of fuel to return to the home airport after proceeding to an alternate airport and making a missed approach. Factors related to the accident were: the adverse weather conditions (at the destination and alternate airports) and darkness in the emergency landing area.
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 buffalo, new york (9G0) about 1900 EST, destined for pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (pit). He encountered traffic delays at pit and decided to go to his alternate, latrobe, Pennsylvania (lbe). The pilot made a missed approach at lbe due to weather conditions, then decided to return to 9G0. During the approach to 9G0, the engine began losing power, so the pilot diverted to the Lancaster airport (D77). About 2234 EST, before reaching the runway at D77, total power was lost and the pilot made a forced landing in a field. An examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks were empty.
Factual narrative
On December 26, 1994 about 2234 eastern daylight time, N9457L, a Grumman American AA-1A airplane, a personal flight, lost engine power an was forced landed in an open field at Lancaster, New York. Visual meteorological conditions existed; an instrument flight plan was filed. The certificated commerical pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The departure point was Buffalo, New York. The destination was Lancaster, New York.
The pilot departed Buffalo Airfield (9G0) bound for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Upon reaching the Pittsburgh area, the pilot encountered traffic delays, so he decided to go to his alternate destination, Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The pilot did a missed approach at Latrobe's Westmoreland County Airport because of weather conditions, so he headed back to Buffalo.
During the approach to 9G0 the engine began losing power, so the pilot diverted the flight to nearby Lancaster County Airport (D77). However, total power loss occurred and the forced landing ensued in a field, about 100 feet short of D77.
Examination of the airplane revealed the fuel tanks were empty.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9457L
- Reported as
- Grumman American AA-1A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA-1A-0257
- Airframe hours
- 4,200
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C2C, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Edward Oleksy
- Registered owner
- Edward P. Oleksy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 11, 1994 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- 9G0 · Buffalo, NY
- Destination
- PIT · Pittsburgh, PA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- D77 · Lancaster
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
- 28
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 200 in this make and model · 3,900 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- 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.