Event NYC86IA231

1986-09-09 BINGHAMTON, New York, United States Airport · BGM None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N90349

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

SMITH AEROSTAR 600

Year of manufacture

1975 · 11 years old at event

Engine

LYCOMING TI0-540 SER (310 hp)

Seats / Engines

6 seats · 2 engines

Last airworthiness date

19750207

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S AC7D57

Registrant of record

WILLIAMS DAVID ANTHONY

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N90349 Piper PA-60-600 None

Factual narrative

THE PLT STATED THAT AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 9000 FT MSL. HE HEARD A POP FOLLOWED BY AN EXPLOSION IN THE LEFT ENG. THE ENTIRE LEFT SIDE OF THE UPPER COWLING WAS PROTRUDING INTO THE AIRSTREAM WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO ROLL TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT HAD TO USE FULL RIGHT RUDDER & HALF LEFT AILERON DEFLECTION TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT AT BLUE LINE, AN EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED & RADAR VECTORS REQUESTED TO NEAREST AIRPORT. WHEN THE AIRPORT PERIMETER WAS CROSSED THE ACFT WAS LESS THAN 10 FT ABOVE THE GROUND. PILOT ELECTED TO LAND GEAR UP ON THE GRASS BETWEEN THE RUNWAY & TAXIWAY. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE EXPLOSION WAS CAUSED BY A FAILED CYLINDER. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1986_NYC86IA231.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Beyond the agency record

Search this event elsewhere.

Pre-filled searches into the sources where news + community discussion of aviation events lives. External sources are reported, not agency. Treat them as signal that something happened, not as fact about what happened.

TallyAero Live Wire Aviation press

Entity-clustered aviation events in the press — last 24 hr + 30-day archive.

NTSB CAROL Agency ↗

Official agency record + docket.

NTSB Docket Agency ↗

Investigative docket: factual reports, photos, transcripts.

Aviation Safety Network Aviation press ↗

Long-running aviation incident database (Flight Safety Foundation).

Kathryn's Report Aviation press ↗

Community NTSB synthesis blog — often has photos and witness reports.

Aviation Herald Aviation press ↗

Gold-standard aviation incident blog.