Maxair XP-503 DRIFTER accident near Warwick, New York, September 17, 1989
On September 17, 1989 at about 4:05 pm local time, a Maxair XP-503 DRIFTER, registered N13WR, was destroyed in an accident near Warwick, New York (Warwick airport). It was a personal 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
FAILURE OF AN ENGINE PISTON WRIST PIN BEARING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 1989 · about 4:05 pm local time
- Place
- Warwick, New York · Warwick · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Maxair XP-503 DRIFTER XP-503 DRI
- Registration
- N13WR · registry record · serial 0006
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE TOOK OFF ON RUNWAY 21, AND EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE NORMAL UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF 150 TO 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD STARTED A LEFT TURN TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY AND LAND WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED COMPLETELY. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ITS LEFT TURN AS IT MADE THE EMERGENCY DESCENT AND COLLIDED WITH AN AIRCRAFT PARKED ON AIRPORT PROPERTY. POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A WRIST PIN BEARING HAD FAILED, WHICH RESULTED IN THE PISTON SEIZING AND THE TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 130 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 10, 1989; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 785 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N-72 Warwick NY at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 900 ft; ovct
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:02 pm from SWF, 17 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.
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 NYC89DHM06.