Piper PA-28-181 accident near Pittstown, New Jersey, March 24, 1989
On March 24, 1989 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N4385L, was destroyed in an accident near Pittstown, New Jersey. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING WHICH LED TO ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 1989 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Pittstown, New Jersey
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N4385L · no longer on the register · serial 28-8590024
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF THE PIPER PA-28 WAS AT CRUISE ALTITUDE WHEN HE REPORTED TO ATC THAT HE WAS RUNNING LOW ON FUEL. AT THAT POINT HE WAS 7 MILES FROM ALLENTOWN AIRPORT, BUT CHOSE TO CONTINUE TO HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT. ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER HE ASKED ATC TO GET HIM TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT BECAUSE FUEL WAS GETTING CRITICAL. ABOUT 23 MINUTES AFTER FIRST REPORTING LOW FUEL TO ATC THE ENGINE QUIT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS VECTORED TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AT 1100 FEET AND 2 1/2 MILES NORTH OF ALEXANDRIA AIRPORT. AFTER BREAKING OUT OF THE CLOUDS ON APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT THE AIRCRAFT STARTED CLIPPING TREES. THE PILOT FLARED THE AIRCRAFT TO SLOW THE FORWARD SPEED AND CRASHED INTO THE TREES.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 184 hours in all; 93 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 30, 1989; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Richmond Hts OH
- Destination: 39N Princeton NJ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.