20160708017439A

ON AUGUST 5, 2016, THE NTSB INTERVIEWED THE PILOT IN COMMAND BY TELEPHONE AND HE PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING NFORMATION:

HE STARTED THE ENGINE WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR SET FOR THE RIGHT TIP TANK, AND THEN SELECTED THE LEFT TIP TANK BEFORE TAKEOFF. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED ORL ABOUT 1800. AFTER DEPARTURE, HE CLIMBED TO 1500 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL) TO REMAIN CLEAR OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE SURROUNDING ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. ABOUT 10 MILES WEST OF ORL, HE BEGAN A CLIMB TO A CRUISING ALTITUDE OF 4500 MSL. ABOUT 2 MINUTES AFTER THE CLIMB BEGAN, HE HEARD A "POPPING SOUND" FROM THE ENGINE. HE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE ORL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER (ATCT) AND ADVISED THAT HE INTENDED TO RETURN TO ORL. HE THEN PERFORMED THE ENTIRE ENGINE POWER LOSS IN FLIGHT CHECKLIST, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG. HE NOTED THAT WHEN HE ADVANCED THE THROTTLE, THE ????? NEEDLE WENT FROM HIGH TO LOW SEVERAL TIMES. WHEN HE ADJUSTED THE PROPELLER LEVER, ????? HAPPENED. THE ENGINE REMAINED AT PARTIAL POWER FOR A SHORT TIME, BUT THEN LOST ALL POWER. AT THAT TIME THE PILOT CONTACTED ORL ATCT AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, ADVISED THAT HE MAY BE ABLE TO REACH LAND, BUT WOULD LIKELY END UP IN THE LAKE BELOW HIM (LAKE DOWN) AND ASKED FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES TO BE AVAILABLE. HE INITIALLY THOUGHT THE AIRPLANE WOULD BE ABLE TO GLIDE TO A NEARBY FIELD, BUT DETERMINED THAT IT WOULDN'T, AND PREPARED FOR A DITCHING IN THE LAKE.

ABOUT 45 SECONDS BEFORE IMPACT, HE OPENED THE CABIN DOOR (WHICH IS ON THE RIGHT OR CO-PILOT'S SIDE) AND EXPLAINED TO THE PASSENGER THAT THEY WERE GOING TO "CRASH LAND" IN THE LAKE, AND THAT AS SOON AS THE AIRPLANE HIT THE WATER, SHE SHOULD UNBUCKLE HER SEATBELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS, AND SWIM AWAY. HE NOTED THAT BOTH HE AND THE PASSENGER HAD WORN THE LAP AND SHOULDER BELTS FOR THE FLIGHT.

THE PILOT INITIALLY CONSIDERED ATTEMPTING A TAIL-LOW LANDING ATTITUDE, BUT CONCLUDED HE COULD NOT DUE TO THE DESCENT RATE AND AIRSPEED. HE THEN CHOSE TO TRY AND LAND "LEVEL" ON ALL THREE LANDING GEAR. HOWEVER, AS THE AIRPLANE REACHED 10-15 FEET ABOVE THE WATER, THE STALL WARNING LIGHT ACTIVATED, AND THEN AIRPLANE ENTERED A "SPIN STALL" AND IMPACTED THE WATER.

THE PILOT NOTED THAT AFTER IMPACT, THE AIRPLANE WAS IMMEDIATELY UNDERWATER, IT DID NOT FLOAT FOR ANY PERIOD OF TIME. HE NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER WAS NOT MOVING, AND HE IMMEDIATELY REMOVED HIS SEATBELT AND ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE PASSENGER'S SEATBELT, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO REMOVE THE SEATBELT, HE SWAM OVER THE PASSENGER, EXITED THROUGH THE CABIN DOOR AND UP TO THE SURFACE FOR A BREATH OF AIR. HE RETURNED TO THE CABIN AND TRIED TO REMOVE THE SEATBELT AGAIN, WHEN HE REALIZED THE BUCKLE WAS INSIDE OUT. HE THEN WAS ABLE TO UNBUCKLE THE SEATBELT AND REMOVE THE PASSENGER FROM THE AIRPLANE, AND BROUGHT HER TO SURFACE. HE MANAGED TO HOLD THE PASSENGER ABOVE THE WATER UNTIL HELP ARRIVED VIA BOAT, AND TRANSPORTED THEM TO SHORE WHERE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE PERSONNEL WERE WAITING. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ADVISED THAT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ENGINE, THERE WERE NO OTHER ISSUES WITH THE AIRPLANE ON EITHER FLIGHT THAT DAY.

ON JULY 11, 2016, INSPECTORS FROM THIS OFFICE OBSERVED THE REMOVAL OF N1495J FROM LAKE DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A DESTROYED CONDITION HAVING IT?S LEFT WING/LANDING GEAR DETACHED FROM THE FUSELAGE AND THE ENGINE, ENGINE FIRE WALL AND CARGO COMPARTMENT CRUSHED AND MANGLED. APPROXIMATELY 20 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS OBSERVED TO BE REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT?S RIGHT WING TANKS. THE SHEARED OFF LEFT WING?S FUEL TANKS (LEFT MAIN AND LEFT TIP) WERE COMPROMISED AND CONTAINED WATER AND FUEL RESIDUE. THE POSITION OF THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR WAS UNDETERMINED DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE IN THE LOCATION OF THE SELECTOR.