Piper PA-28-181 accident near Jersey City, New Jersey, July 13, 1997
On July 13, 1997 at about 3:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N84611, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jersey City, New Jersey. 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
The pilot's mismangement of the fuel supply, by which he failed to switched fuel tanks, which resulted in fuel starvation and the loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 13, 1997 · about 3:05 pm local time
- Place
- Jersey City, New Jersey
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N84611 · no longer on the register · serial 28-8290058
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed in a Piper PA-28-181 with full tanks. After flying for 2.2 hours, the engine lost power and the pilot ditched the airplane in the Hudson River. When interviewed he reported that he had not switched tanks. The FAA reported that after the airplane was recovered from the river, the right tank was full of fuel, and the left tank had about 5 gallons of water, and less than half a cup of fuel. The fuel selector was found set to the left tank.
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: 498 hours in all; 386 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 384 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,417 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 27, 1997; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Million Air
The flight
- Departed from: N12 Lakewood NJ at 2:00 pm
- Destination: TEB Teterboro NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:51 pm from EWR, 5 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.