20201229019969I

ON 29 DECEMBER 2020 PIC ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE ONLY OCCUPANT OF N106GT CESSNA 172 SAFELY ON DANIA BEACH WITHOUT INJURING HIMSELF OR PEDESTRIANS ON THE BEACH.

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^

PREVIOUS FLIGHTS 26-DEC-2020 14 MIN RELOCATION FLIGHT INSIDE OF THE BAHAMAS.

FIRST LEG: 29-DEC-2020 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RELOCATED AIRCRAFT AT 09:17 FROM ANDROS TOWN INT. (ASD) TO SAN ANDROS AIRPORT ANDROS (SAQ) ARRIVAL TIME 09:48.

SECOND LEG: 29-DEC-2020 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PERFORMED SUCCESSFUL FLIGHT FROM (SAQ) AROUND 09:49 AND ARRIVED AT (FLL) 11:15

THIRD LEG: (OCCURRENCE FLIGHT) ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED FLL AT 1403 AND LANDED ON THE BEACH AROUND 1413.

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED HE RAN ERRANDS PICKING UP PACKAGES, FOOD, AND BAIT FOR HIS RETURN TRIP TO ST. ANDROS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FILLED WITH 40GAL OF FUEL SUPPLIED FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AT FLL WITH 100 OCTANE LOW LED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOADED WITH CARGO AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED HE PERFORMED PREFLIGHT AND WEIGHT AND BALANCE FOR HIS RETURN TRIP BACK TO ST. ANDROS. AFTER HIS APPROVAL FOR TAXI AND CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF HE SAID HE HAD NO TROUBLE TAKING OF OR ANY PERFORMANCE ISSUES.

AROUND 10 MINUTES INTO HIS FLIGHT HE NOTICED HE WAS HAVING ENGINE PROBLEMS, HE IMMEDIATELY ASKED FLL TO COME BACK. THEY GRANTED HIM APPROVAL TO COME BACK, AND HE QUICKLY DETERMINED HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE IT AND DECIDED HE WOULD HAVE TO LAND ON THE BEACH. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED HE WAS ABLE TO SAFELY ABLE TO LAND ON THE BEACH WITH THE TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.

NO VISIBLE INJURES WERE SUSTAINED BY MR. BIRCH AND NO ONE ON THE BEACH WAS INJURED.

UPON ARRIVAL TO THE SCENE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS OUTSIDE THE AIRCRAFT TALKING WITH AN AIRPORT SECURITY AND A FEW PARK RANGERS. WHEEL MARKS LEFT IN THE SAND STRETCHED FOR AROUND 200 FEET, WITH NO EVIDENCE OF THE PROP STRIKING THE SAND. THERE WERE TIRE TRACKS AND SOME FOOT TRAFFIC THAT DISTURBED THIS AREA. THE EXTERIOR OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETE WITH THE ONLY NOTICEABLE DAMAGE WAS ON SIDE OF THE PROP WAS SLIGHTLY BENT. THE INSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN DISARRAY AS THE CARGO OF BOXES AND LOOSE GROCERIES WERE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE AIRCRAFT. NOTHING LOOKED SECURED IN ANY FASHION. THE GPS AND I-PAD WERE POORLY SECURED IN THE COCKPIT WITH BUNGEE STRAPS, WITH LOOSE WIRES RUNNING THROUGHOUT THE COCKPIT AS WELL.

THE OVERALL APPEARANCE OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT KEPT IN THE BEST CONDITION ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS NOT SURE WHEN THE LAST ANNUAL WAS COMPLETED. ALL THE AIRCRAFT LOGBOOKS AND RECORDS ARE LOCATED IN ST. ANDROS.

BOTH WING TANKS WERE FULL OF FUEL AND A SUMP SHOWED A CLEAN BLUE FUEL SAMPLE. THE OIL LEVEL WAS GOOD AND LOOKED TO BE SERVICEABLE. A SMALL AMOUNT OF OIL WAS IN THE LOWER ENGINE BAY AREA BUT ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT AND NO VISIBLE OIL LEAKING WHILE THE ENGINE WAS NOT OPERATING.

AFTER AIRCRAFT WAS BROUGHT TO LOADING AREA BY THE SALVAGE CREW, THE COWLING WAS REMOVED TO FURTHER INSPECT THE ENGINE BAY AREA. NO FIREWALL DAMAGE WAS FOUND AND THE OVERALL CONDITION OF THE ENGINE WAS OK WITH SOME NEEDED PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE ITEMS.

FOUND FAILURE OF CARBURETOR MIXING CABLE BROKEN AND DISCONNECTED AT THE POINT OF CONNECTION TO THE CARBURETOR. THIS WOULD BE IN LINE WITH A SLOW LEANING OUT OF THE ENGINE AND LOSS OF POWER AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DESCRIBED. A DEEPER LOOK AND INTO WHY OR HOW THIS CABLE BROKE AND THE HARDWARE INVOLVED NEEDS TO BE FURTHER INVESTIGATED.