Piper PA-23-250 accident near Spencer, Iowa, September 20, 1993
On September 20, 1993 at about 2:30 am local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N5309Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Spencer, Iowa (Spencer Municipal airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's to switch fuel tanks which resulted in fuel starvation. A factor related to the accident was the rough terrain on which the airplane was landed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 1993 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Spencer, Iowa · Spencer Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N5309Y · registry record · serial 27-2382
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
FUEL IN THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS EXHAUSTED DURING AN ILS TO RUNWAY 12. A LOSS OF POWER ON THE RIGHT ENGINE RESULTED. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN IN ROUGH TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FEET SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT STATED HE FAILED TO SWITCH FUEL TANKS.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,880 hours in all; 710 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 2,700 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 31,073 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 21, 1993
- Maximum gross weight: 4,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1D5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PDC Prarie Du Chien WI at 1:00 am
- Destination: SPW
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 12, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 am from 3SE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.