What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Tuesday, November 9, 2021, a Piper PA-28, registered as N40831, serial number 28-7415092, was involved in an accident in the vicinity of Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport (ksrq) in Sarasota, FL. The accident resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft.
The pilot explained that he was returning to ksrq from a solo cross country flight. Upon arrival, he was vectored to left downwind for runway 14 and advised he was number two behind airline traffic.
While turning left downwind to base, he apllied 10 degrees of flaps and noticed that the throttle lever was stuck at 2000 RPM. He reported the issue to air traffic control (ATC) and was cleared to land runway 14.
As he turned final with 25 degrees of flaps, he noticed that his rate of descent was too great to reach the runway. He retracted the flaps in an attempt to reduce drag in an effort to make the runway 14. He stated that he also verified that the throttle friction lock was not applied. He realized that he did not have enough power to reach the runway 14 and elected to ditch the aircraft in the water to avoid houses and buildings.
The pilot added that he flew a larger pattern than normal due to airline traffic ahead of him.
As the FAA filed it
ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2021, A PIPER PA-28, REGISTERED AS N40831, SERIAL NUMBER 28-7415092, WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN THE VICINITY OF SARASOTA/BRADENTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KSRQ) IN SARASOTA, FL. THE ACCIDENT RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.
THE PILOT EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS RETURNING TO KSRQ FROM A SOLO CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. UPON ARRIVAL, HE WAS VECTORED TO LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 14 AND ADVISED HE WAS NUMBER TWO BEHIND AIRLINE TRAFFIC.
WHILE TURNING LEFT DOWNWIND TO BASE, HE APLLIED 10 DEGREES OF FLAPS AND NOTICED THAT THE THROTTLE LEVER WAS STUCK AT 2000 RPM. HE REPORTED THE ISSUE TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) AND WAS CLEARED TO LAND RUNWAY 14.
AS HE TURNED FINAL WITH 25 DEGREES OF FLAPS, HE NOTICED THAT HIS RATE OF DESCENT WAS TOO GREAT TO REACH THE RUNWAY. HE RETRACTED THE FLAPS IN AN ATTEMPT TO REDUCE DRAG IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE THE RUNWAY 14. HE STATED THAT HE ALSO VERIFIED THAT THE THROTTLE FRICTION LOCK WAS NOT APPLIED. HE REALIZED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH POWER TO REACH THE RUNWAY 14 AND ELECTED TO DITCH THE AIRCRAFT IN THE WATER TO AVOID HOUSES AND BUILDINGS.
THE PILOT ADDED THAT HE FLEW A LARGER PATTERN THAN NORMAL DUE TO AIRLINE TRAFFIC AHEAD OF HIM.
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 N40831 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.