# Accident 20050705018969A: Piper PA25, Cape May, NJ, July 5, 2005 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 5, 2005, 11:20 local time - Place: Cape May, NJ - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 38.9391° N, 74.8992° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.9391&lon=-74.8992&mi=10 - Aircraft: N6289Z, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6289Z-2005-09-23) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-25 (registry code 7102502, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-25) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA25 - Reported engine: LYC O320A2B - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,305 total, 1 in this make and model, 120 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD05LA096](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD05LA096) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050705018969A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) THE PILOT STATED: HE DEPARTED JY04 AT APPROXIMATELY 1100 HOURS LOCAL TIME. AFTER PICKING UP THE BANNER, I PROCEEDED DOWN THE BAY SOUTHBOUND WHILE CLIMBING TO 700' AGL. HE PROCEEDED SOUTHBOUND, DOWN THE BAY, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO LOSE ALTITUDE. FULL POWER WAS ADDED TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, BUT STILL A SLIGHT DESCENT OCCURED. THIS CEASED AT ABOUT 500' AGL, AND THE AIRCRAFT FLEW NORMALLY. THIS WAS NOT ENTIRELY UNUSUAL BECAUSE WE ENCOUNTER DOWNDRAFTS IN THAT AREA FROM TIME TO TIME. WHILE ROUNDING CAPE MAY POINT, THE AIRCRAFT AGAIN BEGAN TO LOSE ALTITUDE. FULL POWER WAS AGAIN ADDED, BUT DID NOT ENTIRELY STOP THE DESCENT. AT AN AIRSPEED OF ABOUT 65 MPH INDICATED, THE AIRCRAFT STILL SANK AT A SLOWER SPEED OF ABOUT 57 MPH, AND A GREATER ANGLE UP ATTACK STILL DID NOT STOP THE LOSS IN ALTITUDE. A SLIGHT DIVE TO 80 MPH INDICATED FOLLOWED BY A CLIMB DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM EITHER. CARB HEAT WAS APPLIED AGAIN WITH NO SUCCESS. THE MIXTURE WAS ADJUSTED, BUT AGAIN NO SUCCESS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RUNNING FAIRLY SMOOTHLY BUT DID NOT SEEM TO BE PUTTING OUT RATED HORSEPOWER. IT SEEMED SLUGGISH. AT 200' AGL I RELEASED THE BANNER, BUT THE AIRCRAFT STILL DID NOT HAVE THE POWER TO MAINTAIN OR GAIN ALTITUDE. MAY IT ALSO BE NOTED THAT THE LOSS OF ALTITUDE WAS VERY GRADUAL, AND OVER A DISTANCE BETWEEN 3/8 TO 1 MILE. (FROM BETWEEN THE CAPY MAY LIGHTHOUSE AND THE OLD CONCRETE BUNKER ON THE BEACH, AND THE POINT OF FORCED DITCHING). THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED NO SIGN OF A STALLED CONDITION. THERE WAS NO FLIGHT CONTROL LOSS OR TAIL FLUTTERING OR NO BUFFETING OR MUSHINESS. I CONTINUED TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT AND MANEUVERED IT AWAY FROM THE BEACH AND SWIMMERS, UNTIL IT CONTROLLABLY IMPACTED THE WATER IN A SLIGHTLY NOSE HIGH ALTITUDE. THIS IS MY STATEMENT REGARDING THE DITCHING OF THE PIPER PAWNEE ON TUESDAY, JULY 5TH, AT APPROXIMATELY 11:25 AM. ALL STATEMENTS ABOVE ARE TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION. ## 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 IAD05LA096](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD05LA096), Jul 5, 2005: Piper PA-25 (N6289Z), Cape May, NJ, substantial damage. Probable cause: A partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain to perform a forced landing. ## Other reports on N6289Z (4) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19920819038339I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19920819038339I), Aug 19, 1992: Piper PA25 (N6289Z), Wildwood, NJ, Minor damage. Pilot ran out of fuel while flying a banner tow operation. Forced landing. - [Accident 19810604031399A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19810604031399A), Jun 4, 1981: Piper PA25150 (N6289Z), Vidalia, GA, Substantial damage. Wing struck trees on spray run. Remainted airborne. Landed safely. - [Incident 19810205011729I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19810205011729I), Feb 5, 1981: Piper PA25 (N6289Z), Prentiss, MS, Minor damage. During taxi operation propellor hit the horizontal stabilizer of another aircraft due to wheel went into a hole. - [Incident 19801214084429I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19801214084429I), Dec 14, 1980: Piper PA25 (N6289Z), Prentiss, MS, Minor damage. Aircraft was taxied into parked aircraft. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.