# Accident 20060418029169A: Piper PA31310, Charlotte Amal, U.S. Virgin Islands, April 18, 2006

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 18, 2006, 09:08 local time
- Place: Charlotte Amal, U.S. Virgin Islands
- Airport: Cyril E King Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 18.3354° N, 64.8968° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=18.3354&lon=-64.8968&mi=10
- Aircraft: N554DJ, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N554DJ-2014-12-17) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31-310 (registry code 7103102, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-310) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA31310
- Reported engine: LYC TIO540*
- People aboard: 5
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,200 total, 1,800 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA06TA093](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA06TA093) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060418029169A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON 04/18/06, N555DJ, A PIPER NAVAJO, DEPARTED ON A VFR FLIGHT FROM ST. CROIX TO ST. THOMAS AT APPROXIMATELY 0800-0835 HOURS LOCAL TIME. WHILE APPROACHING THE ST. THOMAS AIRPORT, THE PILOT STATED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE, FOLLOWED A SHORT TIME LATER BY THE RIGHT ENGINE, BEGAN SURGING. THE PILOT REPORTED A LOSS OF POWER ON BOTH ENGINES TO THE CONTROL TOWER AT ST. THOMAS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO REESTABLISH NORMAL OPERATION OF THE ENGINES, AND THAT HE COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN THE WATER AND SANK SHORTLY THEREAFTER. ALL PERSONS ONBOARD WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WERE ONLY MINOR INJURIES REPORTED TO TWO PASSENGERS.

## 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 MIA06TA093](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA06TA093), Apr 18, 2006: Piper PA-31-310 (N554DJ), St. Thomas, destroyed. Probable cause: The loss of engine power in both engines for an unknown reason.

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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