19811105074129A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-161 · Merritt Island, FL · November 5, 1981

Date
November 5, 1981 · 18:25 local
Place
Merritt Island, FL
Airport
Merritt Island
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N6552C
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA82FLD06
Reported as
Piper PA28161
Reported engine
Lycoming O320D3G
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
163 total13 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Engine quit on initial takeoff climb. Ditched in river off end of runway. No engine defect. May have run tank dry.

As the FAA filed it

ENGINE QUIT ON INITIAL TAKEOFF CLIMB. DITCHED IN RIVER OFF END OF RUNWAY. NO ENGINE DEFECT. MAY HAVE RUN TANK DRY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.