Piper PA22 accident near Olean, New York, June 5, 2020
On June 5, 2020 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 1961 Piper PA22, registered N5044Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Olean, New York (Cattaraugus County-Olean airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 2020 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Olean, New York · Cattaraugus County-Olean · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA22 108, built 1961 · all PA22s on the register
- Registration
- N5044Z · no longer on the register · serial 22-8666
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported he had planned a 17 nautical mile trip to fuel the airplane. He estimated the right wing fuel tank was 1/4 to 3/8 full, which he believed was sufficient for the flight, and that the left tank contained about 1 gallon of fuel. While on approach, he moved the fuel selector to the left tank for landing. He stated the engine ran “poorly”, so he switched back to the right tank, and the engine “started back up and quit 3 times.” He prepared for an off-field landing, during which the airplane stuck trees inside the airport perimeter fence, short of the runway. Following the accident, the pilot advised a Federal Aviation Administration inspector that the airplane had not undergone an annual inspection for 2 to 3 years. At the time he was interviewed by the inspector, he did not have his pilot or maintenance records for the airplane available. The pilot did not submit a National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report Form 6120.1. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector performed a cursory examination of the wreckage after the accident, after it had been recovered from the accident site to a hangar. The amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tanks after the accident was not measured. The inspector confirmed that both wings and the fuselage were substantially damaged. The quantity of fuel onboard the airplane was not quantified nor were the airframe or engine examined in any greater detail.
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 approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 750 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,649 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: D23 Arcade NY at 10:40 pm
- Destination: OLE Olean NY
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 22, 4,800 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from OLE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on January 20, 2021. 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.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Police Report | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Memorandum for Record - Investigative Notes | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
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.