Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

West Seneca, New York 14224
Friday, April 8, 1988 2:30 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE FLIGHT DEPARTED BUFFALO UNDER IFR CONDITIONS TO JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK. SEVERAL APPROACHES WERE MADE TO LAND BUT DUE TO THE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PILOT ELECTED TO RETURN TO BUFFALO STILL UNDER IFR. DURING INITIAL CONTACT WITH CONTROL TOWER, THE PILOT ADVISED THEM THAT HE WAS LOW ON FUEL AND REQUESTED DIRECT FLIGHT TO BUFFALO. ABOUT 5 MILES SSW OF BUFFALO BOTH ENGINES QUIT AND THE PILOT ADVISED THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE IT. AT THIS TIME THE FLIGHT WAS ISSUED EMERGENCY VECTOR TO BUFFALO, BUT THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ADJACENT TO ROUTE 400 IN WEST SENECA, NEW YORK.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

LOSS OF POWER DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS ADVERSED WEATHER CONDITIONS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/8/1988
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 230
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City WEST SENECA
Event State NEW YORK
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 14224
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 3000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2440
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 8 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 415
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 39446
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 11:41AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N59845
NTSB Number NYC88LA121
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-31-325
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-31-325
Aircraft Serial Number 31-7612054
Certified Max Gross Weight 6500
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 8
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Mar 15 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 65
Airframe Hours 2040
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name LANDS EDGE, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 196
Aircraft Owner City MT. POCONO
Aircraft Owner State PA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 18344
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code
Departure City BUFFALO
Departure State NY
Departure Country
Departure Time 50
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code
Destination City JAMESTOWN
Destination State NY
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --