Piper PA-28-180 accident near Bronx, New York, January 4, 2014
On January 4, 2014 at about 8:19 pm local time, a 1966 Piper PA-28-180, registered N9409J, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Bronx, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident engine examination or testing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 4, 2014 · about 8:19 pm local time
- Place
- Bronx, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180, built 1966 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N9409J · no longer on the register · serial 28-3516
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that both fuel tanks were full when the flight departed. About 30 minutes into the flight, a GPS alarm alerted the pilot to switch fuel tanks, so he switched the fuel tank selector. He then proceeded north to return to the departure airport. About 51 minutes into the flight, while about 2,200 ft above the ground, the engine rpm began to decrease. The pilot attempted to restore power by repositioning the fuel selector, turning on the auxiliary fuel pump, pushing the throttle, and verifying that the mixture control was full rich; however, none of these actions restored engine power. The pilot declared an emergency to the tower air traffic controller, who then provided a vector to a nearby airport. The pilot was unable to visually locate the airport and recognized that he would be unable to land there, so he maneuvered for a forced landing on an expressway. The onboard camera showed the propeller stop while the airplane was on approach and the pilot turn off the fuel selector. The pilot subsequently landed the airplane hard on the expressway, which caused substantial damage to the airplane. Following recovery of the airplane, 45 gallons of uncontaminated fuel was drained from both fuel tanks; however, fuel system components in the engine compartment contained minimal fuel, consistent with fuel starvation. Although the airplane was equipped with an engine monitor that records and retains engine parameters, it did not record fuel flow. However, the engine monitor did record a sudden and equal decrease in the exhaust gas temperature and cylinder head temperature for all of the cylinders, consistent with the loss of engine power described by the pilot. Although the reason for the loss of engine power was likely due to fuel starvation, the reason for the fuel starvation could not be determined by either an examination of the fuel supply system or a postaccident test run of the engine.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Not specified
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 124.6 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 25.6 in the last 90 days; 8.6 in the last 30 days; 25.3 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 30, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,516 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 2013; 97 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 2,516 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DXR Danbury CT at 7:26 pm
- Destination: DXR Danbury CT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 9 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.38 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from LGA, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
17 documents, released by the NTSB on December 30, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.