Piper J-5A accident near Broadus, Montana, April 17, 1992
On April 17, 1992 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Piper J-5A, registered N35931, was substantially damaged in an accident near Broadus, Montana. 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
FUEL SYSTEM EXHAUSTION. FACTORS INCLUDE AN INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT, INADVERTENT FUEL DUMPING, AND A DITCH IN THE LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 17, 1992 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Broadus, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J-5A · all J-5As on the register
- Registration
- N35931 · registry record · serial 5-821
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF THE PIPER J-5 HAD JUST PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS RETURNING TO HIS HOME AIRPORT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT RAN OUT OF FUEL. DURING THE ENSUING EMERGENCY LANDING THE AIRCRAFT HIT A DITCH AND NOSED OVER. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN BURNING ABOUT EIGHT GALLONS OF FUEL PER HOUR. THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH HAD BEEN AIRBORNE APPROXIMATELY THREE AND ONE HALF HOURS, SHOULD HAVE HAD AN ENDURANCE OF OVER FOUR HOURS AT CRUISE. AFTER THE ACCIDENT IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE LEFT FUEL TANK CAP HAD BEEN PUT ON WITH THE PRESSURIZATION TUBE FACING AFT INSTEAD OF FORWARD INTO THE SLIPSTREAM. BOTH THE PILOT AND THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT FELT THAT THE BACKWARDS CAP HAD SIPHONED OFF SOME OF THE FUEL, LEADING TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION OR OTHER SOURCE OF FUEL LEAKAGE.
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: 200 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 170 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,484 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 12, 1991; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9V9 Chamberlain SD at 4:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 61°F (16°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.
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.