# Accident 20110319005479A: Piper PA-32R-300, Oak Bluffs, MA, March 19, 2011 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 19, 2011, 20:45 local time - Place: Oak Bluffs, MA - Airport: Martha'S Vineyard - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 41.4264° N, 70.5542° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.4264&lon=-70.5542&mi=10 - Aircraft: N2027M, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2027M-2016-12-08) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-32R-300 (registry code 7103213, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32r-300) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-32R-300 - Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-540 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 2 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 3,100 total, 3,000 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA11LA198](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11LA198) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110319005479A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON 3/19/2011, THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER DEPARTED HYA DIRECTLY FOR MVY. THE PILOT REPORTS THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES OUT FROM MVY, AT AN ALTITUDE OF 900-1000 FEET, WITH AN AIRSPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 160 KNOTS, AFTER REDUCING POWER AND EXTENDING THE LANDING GEAR A COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER OCCURED. AN ENGINE RESTART WAS ATTEMPTED, BUT UNSUCCESSFUL. DUE TO INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE, THE PILOT CHOSE TO ABANDON ENGINE START ATTEMPTS AND MAKE AN EMERGENCY, OFF-AIRPORT LANDING. A LEFT TURN WAS MADE TO AVOID HOUSES IN THE AREA AND TO LAND EITHER ON SEA VIEW AVE., OR THE ADJACENT BEACH.AT APPROXIMATELY 2145 HOURS LOCAL, THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON JOSEPH SYLVIA STATE BEACH IN OAK BLUFFS, MA. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR TOUCHED DOWN IN THE SAND AND TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 46 FEET BEFORE CONTACTING A WOODEN BARRIER THAT RUNS PERPENDICULAR TO THE WATERS EDGE. THE NOSE GEAR TOUCHED DOWN FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET, AND THE RIGHT MAIN ABOUT 17 FEET THROUGH THE SAND BEFORE IMPACT WITH THE BARRIER. THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELLED APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER 160 FEET BEFORE COMING TO REST IN THE WATER. BOTH MAIN GEAR ASSEMBLIES WERE FOUND IN THE WATER APPROXIMATELY 108 FEET PAST THE WOODEN BARRIER. THE TOTAL LENGTH OF THE CRASH SITE IS APPROXIMATELY 206 FEET. A WITNESS TRAVELING WESTBOUND IN A CAR ALONG SEA VIEW AVE. REPORTED PULLING OVER AFTER SEEING THE AIRCRAFT WING LIGHTS GETTING LOWER AND LOWER, UNTIL CRASHING ALONG THE BEACH. THE WITNESS RAN OVER TO THE AIRCRAFT WHERE HE OBSERVED BOTH OCCUPANTS EXITING UNASSISTED FROM THE AIRCRAFT IN SHALLOW WATER. OFFICERS FROM THE OAK BLUFFS AND MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE DEPARTMENTS RESPONDED TO THE SCENE AS WELL AS THE OAK BLUFFS FIRE DEPARTMENT. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE TAKEN TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT OF MINOR INJURIES AND LATER RELEASED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PULLED UP ON TO THE BEACH BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. AN ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED 3/20/2011 BY THE FAA REVEALED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND ON ITS BELLY. BOTH MAIN GEARS WERE DETACHED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND LYING IN THE SAND, THE NOSE GEAR WAS COLLAPSED REARWARDS UNDER THE NOSE. TWO BLADES OF THE THREE-BLADED PROPELLER, LOCATED AT THE 4 AND 8 O'CLOCK POSITIONS, WERE BENT AND SHOWED DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH STATIC IMPACT. THE THIRD BLADE AT 12 O'CLOCK WAS UNDAMAGED. THERE WAS IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE FORWARD SIDE OF THE RIGHT WING BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER FUEL TANKS. THE RIGHT FLAP AND RIGHT ELEVATOR SHOWED SIGNS CONSISTENT WITH BEING STRUCK BY THE RIGHT GEAR AS IT DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. DAMAGE TO THE LEFT ELEVATOR WAS MORE EXTENSIVE, BUT ALSO CONSISTENT WITH BEING STRUCK BY THE DEPARTING LEFT GEAR. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL OR HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAKAGE. A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE UPPER PORTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY.INSPECTING THE INTERIOR OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE FOLLOWING WAS NOTED: THE THROTTLE, PROPELLER, AND MIXTURE CONTROL LEVERS WERE ALL IN THE FULL-FORWARD POSITION. FUEL TANK SELECTOR WAS IN THE RIGHT TANK POSITION. THE LANDING GEAR SELECTOR WAS IN THE 'UP' POSITION. LANDING LIGHT SWITCHES WERE SELECTED 'ON'. THE UPHOLSTERY WAS WET WITH AND THERE WAS SAND ON THE CABIN FLOOR. TWO PILOT LOGBOOKS WERE RECOVERED FROM THE BACK OF THE CABIN.A REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE LOGS SHOWED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN RELEASED FROM ANNUAL INSPECTION ON 3/17/2011. DURING THE INSPECTION THE PROPELLER HAD BEEN REMOVED, SENT OUT FOR REPAIR, AND REINSTALLED. THERE WERE NO OTHER NOTEWORTHY ITEMS FROM THE INSPECTION.ON 3/23/2011, THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED FROM THE BEACH AND TRANSPORTED TO MVY. WHEN THE WINGS WERE REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT FOR TRANSPORT, APPROXIMATELY 2 GALS OF FUEL ALONG WITH SEA WATER DRAINED FROM THE LEFT WING. THE RIGHT WING CONTAINED ONLY SEA WATER. DISCONNECTING FUEL LINES FROM THE INJECTORS, FUEL DISTRIBUTOR, FUEL CONTROL, PUMP, FIREWALL, AND FEED LINES INSIDE THE CABIN SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL. THERE WERE NO NOTICEABLE OIL LEAKS. THE PROPELLER WAS ABLE TO BE ROTATED BY HAND. ## 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 ERA11LA198](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11LA198), Mar 20, 2011: Piper PA-32R-300 (N2027M), Vineyard Haven, MA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. 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.