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MIA89LA244

1989-09-10 · TITUSVILLE, Florida, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport TIX

Current FAA registration · N7946P

Make / Model
PIPER PA-24
Year of manufacture
1962 · 27 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19620608
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AACA19

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

FAILURE OF THE PRIVATE PILOT (DUAL STUDENT) TO ASSURE THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED TO THE PROPER TANK, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION; AND INADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI). THE TREES WERE A RELATED FACTOR.

Factual narrative

AS THE ACFT WAS ON FINAL APCH TO LAND AFTER A BFR FLT, THE ENG LOST POWER DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. DURING A SUBSEQUENT EMERGENCY LANDING, IT COLLIDED WITH TREES SHORT OF THE RWY & WAS DAMAGED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ENG LOST POWER WHEN THE RIGHT FUEL TANK EMPTIED & THE LEFT TANK WAS STILL FULL. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_MIA89LA244.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.