What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 9, 2012, approximately 1500 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28RT-201 single-engine airplane, N2878V, sustained substantial damage when it ditched into a lake following a partial loss of engine power near gilmer, Texas. The student pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was registered to airlease Nevada, LLC, and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91 as an instructional solo flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated from fox stephens field (jxi), gilmer, Texas, at 1400.the pilot stated he was practicing basic flight maneuvers in preparation to take his private pilot check ride. During a 20 degree bank turn at 1,500 feet above ground level, the engine lost partial power. The pilot attempted to regain engine power; however, his attempts were unsuccessful. The pilot could not maintain altitude, and due to the tree covered terrain surrounding the area, the pilot elected to ditch the airplane into a lake. The airplane landed in the water and sank. The pilot was able to egress and was rescued by nearby boaters.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2012, APPROXIMATELY 1500 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28RT-201 SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N2878V, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT DITCHED INTO A LAKE FOLLOWING A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR GILMER, TEXAS. THE STUDENT PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AIRLEASE NEVADA, LLC, AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL SOLO FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM FOX STEPHENS FIELD (JXI), GILMER, TEXAS, AT 1400.THE PILOT STATED HE WAS PRACTICING BASIC FLIGHT MANEUVERS IN PREPARATION TO TAKE HIS PRIVATE PILOT CHECK RIDE. DURING A 20 DEGREE BANK TURN AT 1,500 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, THE ENGINE LOST PARTIAL POWER. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN ENGINE POWER; HOWEVER, HIS ATTEMPTS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE PILOT COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, AND DUE TO THE TREE COVERED TERRAIN SURROUNDING THE AREA, THE PILOT ELECTED TO DITCH THE AIRPLANE INTO A LAKE. THE AIRPLANE LANDED IN THE WATER AND SANK. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO EGRESS AND WAS RESCUED BY NEARBY BOATERS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N2878V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.