'Lack Of Fuel Management' Caused East Farmingdale Emergency Plane Landing: NTSB

EAST FARMINGDALE, NY — The plane that had an emergency crash landing on the Southern State Parkway in East Farmingdale on Feb. 20 ran out of fuel after its pilots did not switch fuel tanks, a report by the National Transportation Safety Board says.

A single-engine Piper PA-28 landed on the parkway after a pilot reported engine failure while approaching Republic Airport around 11:40 a.m., the FAA stated. Both occupants were evaluated at local hospitals for injuries that are not life-threatening, New York State Police said.

A student pilot and flight instructor were the two on the plane, according to the NTSB report. The student pilot's "lack of fuel management" during the flight and the instructor's "inadequate monitoring" of his student's fuel management caused the plane to run out of fuel and land on the highway, the report says.

A student pilot in the left seat and his instructor in the right seat were preparing for a local flight.

The flight took off from Republic Airport just before 10 a.m. and had been "flying low over Suffolk County until landing on the highway," ABC7 reported.

The duo estimated there were about 30 gallons of fuel on board before they left: 17 gallons in the left tank and 13 gallons in the right tank, according to the NTSB. After airwork and emergency procedures practice, they returned to the departure airport for some takeoffs and landings.

The plane, which has a fuel capacity of 50 gallons, 25 in each wing, left the airport without having been refueled, Newsday reported.

During the second approach to landing, about two hours into the flight, the student pilot advanced the throttle, but the engine did not respond, according to the report. The instructor took the controls at low altitude and landed the plane on the Southern State Parkway, the report says.

The right wing struck a road sign, partially severing the wing, the NTSB stated. The pilots egressed the airplane and were not injured, the report says.

Federal Aviation Administration inspectors found "substantial damage" to the right wing, according to the NTSB.

The fuel tank selector handle, near the student pilot’s left leg, was found in the left tank position, the report states. The left wing fuel tank was uncompromised and contained about a half gallon of fuel.

"Although the flight instructor stated that he reminded the student several times to switch tanks, the student did not recall ever switching tanks during the flight," the NTSB wrote.

The pilots said there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have affected a normal flight, according to the report.

Aptum Aviation Inc. is the registered owner of the plane, according to FAA records. The company is based in Hicksville.