Piper PA-11 accident near Cooperstown, New York, May 26, 2014
On May 26, 2014 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 1949 Piper PA-11, registered N4550M, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Cooperstown, New York (Cooperstown-Westville airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s delayed use of carburetor heat during the approach to landing, which resulted in the formation of carburetor ice, a partial loss of engine power, and the airplane’s subsequent inability to sustain flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 2014 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cooperstown, New York · Cooperstown-Westville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-11, built 1949 · all PA-11s on the register
- Registration
- N4550M · registry record · serial 11-1009
- 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 he completed several takeoffs and landings and then made a scenic flight in the vicinity of the airport. As he was preparing to land, the pilot noticed a "considerable" loss of engine power, which he attributed to carburetor ice. As in the past, he applied carburetor heat, but the airplane would not climb and it was rapidly losing altitude. The pilot decided to land on the road next to the airport, but, with the loss of engine power, the airplane "dropped" over some trees and impacted a power pole. The airplane then spun around and collided with a pole barn. Ground slash marks and propeller blade leading edge damage indicated that the engine was still under partial power when the airplane hit the ground. The pilot did not note any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A Federal Aviation Administration carburetor icing probability chart indicated the probability of "serious icing at glide power." The pilot stated that he should have applied carburetor heat earlier in the approach.
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 (partial) during maneuvering defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Related operating info
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 1,247 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 1,350 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 23, 2013
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,272 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 17, 2011; 97 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,170 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C90 SERIES (piston); 2,505 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K23 Cooperstown NY at 10:10 pm
- Destination: K23 Cooperstown NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 2,337 ft by 125 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from RME, 42 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA14LA261.