Cessna 305A accident near East Moriches, New York, August 24, 1984
On August 24, 1984 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Cessna 305A, registered N5291G, was substantially damaged in an accident near East Moriches, New York (Spadaro'S airport). It was an other work-use 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
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 1984 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- East Moriches, New York · Spadaro'S · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 305A · all 305As on the register
- Registration
- N5291G · registry record · serial 23413
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT THE COMPLETION OF A BANNER TOW FLT THE BANNER WAS RELEASED AND A CLIMBING RIGHT TURN TO DOWNWIND WAS INITIATED. A LOSS OF POWER WAS EXPERIENCED ON DOWNWIND. UNABLE TO RETURN TO THE ARPT TO LAND, A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A WOODED AREA. INVESTIGATORS FOUND 1.5 GALS OF FUEL IN THE RT TANK AND 8.5 GALS IN THE LT TANK. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, ABOUT 10 MINUES BEFORE DROPPING THE BANNER HE HAD INTENTIONALLY RUN THE RT TANK DRY. THE LT TANK WAS THEN SELECTED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WERE FOUND; THE ENGINE WAS SUCCESSFULLY TEST RUN AFTER RECOVERY OF THE WRECKAGE.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,570 hours in all; 86 in this make and model; 91 in the last 90 days; 1,482 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,808 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 1, 1984; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,830 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-470-11B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: East Moriches NY
- Destination: East Moriches NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6, 2,200 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 18 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N5291G the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.