# Accident 19811105074129A: Piper PA28161, Merritt Island, FL, November 5, 1981

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 5, 1981, 18:25 local time
- Place: Merritt Island, FL
- Airport: Merritt Island
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.3416° N, 80.6855° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at MERRITT ISLAND (COI), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.3416&lon=-80.6855&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6552C, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6552C-2013-04-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-161 (registry code 7102803, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28161
- Reported engine: LYC O320D3G
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 163 total, 13 in this make and model, 2 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA82FLD06](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA82FLD06) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19811105074129A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB MIA82FLD06](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA82FLD06), Nov 5, 1981: Piper PA-28 (N6552C), Merritt Island, FL, substantial damage

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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