Piper PA-22 accident near Conesus, New York, March 7, 2000
On March 7, 2000 at about 11:58 pm local time, a Piper PA-22, registered N9040D, was destroyed in an accident near Conesus, New York (Private Airstrip airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The contamination of the aircraft's fuel. Contributing factors were the pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude and his diversion of attention during the base turn, dark night conditions, and the tree.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 2000 · about 11:58 pm local time
- Place
- Conesus, New York · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22 · all PA-22s on the register
- Registration
- N9040D · no longer on the register · serial 22-6178
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was repositioning the airplane from his private airstrip, to an airport about 10 nautical miles to the south, at night. The pilot had flown 1.3 daytime hours in the previous 90 days, all on the day before the accident; however, the accident airplane had not been flown in 6 months. The airplane's left wing was refueled with 8-10 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel. The airplane was preflighted, and fuel samples were taken from both tanks, the strainer, and both wings. No water or sediments were observed. The pilot completed an engine run-up, then took off. During the climb, about 400 feet above the ground, the engine quit. The pilot switched the fuel selector from the left tank to the right tank. The engine began to produce power again, but not full power. The pilot opted to land at a nearby unlighted airstrip. During the approach, while on base leg, and with the engine still running, the airplane impacted a tree. The pilot stated: 'I was checking the engine gauges and wasn't watching my altitude closely enough.' Post-flight inspection of the airplane revealed no mechanical malfunctions. However, corrosion and severe pitting were found inside the fuel bowl.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 609 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,782 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1999; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 11:57 pm
- Destination: DSV Dansville NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 280° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,300 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 pm from ROC, 25 miles away
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.