What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On November 14, 2023 the pilot was flying aircraft privacy data omitteda Piper PA-18-150 along the st. Augustine, Florida shoreline conducting aerial surveying. The aircraft engine began to sputter. The pilot said he his fuel load was at half full. He activated the carb heat to see if that was the problem. Then the engine stopped running.
The pilot called "mayday mayday" to the st. Augustine air traffic control tower (ATCT) to inform them that he was making a forced landing. At approximately 11:35 local time the pilot landed the aircraft just offshore in the ocean surf making a three point landing (all the wheels touched at the same time). During the rollout the aircraft flipped on its back presumably due to the level of the water and soft sand.
The aircraft suffered significant damage and was unsalvageable. The pilot (only sole on board) did not have any injuries.
The pilot chose to land just offshore to avoid pedestrians walking on the beach.
The pilot stated he had the aircraft fully fueled at daytona beach airport (kdab), Florida and said he had been flying the aircraft for about 2 hours when the engine stopped running.
The pilot said fuel could be smelt coming out of the fuel tanks as he got out of the aircraft after flipping over. During the recovery of the aircraft it was flipped over onto the wheels and it was discovered that there were no fuel caps. No fuel caps were found at the scene by the recovery crew. The pilot said in a statement that the caps were tubular vented caps and that they came off when the aircraft flipped over. (Later the pilot was able to find a video of a person who found the fuel caps buried in the sand. However, the fuel caps were not available for inspection)
FAA inspection of the aircraft did not reveal any reason for the engine stoppage and at the time of this report no cause has been determined. The engine may have been deprived of fuel or had carburetor ice. Perhaps there was a problem with the vented caps restricting fuel flow because of a blockage or defect. The fuel caps were not present during the FAA inspection.
As the FAA filed it
ON NOVEMBER 14, 2023 THE PILOT WAS FLYING AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^A PIPER PA-18-150 ALONG THE ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA SHORELINE CONDUCTING AERIAL SURVEYING. THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER. THE PILOT SAID HE HIS FUEL LOAD WAS AT HALF FULL. HE ACTIVATED THE CARB HEAT TO SEE IF THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. THEN THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING.
THE PILOT CALLED "MAYDAY MAYDAY" TO THE ST. AUGUSTINE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER (ATCT) TO INFORM THEM THAT HE WAS MAKING A FORCED LANDING. AT APPROXIMATELY 11:35 LOCAL TIME THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT JUST OFFSHORE IN THE OCEAN SURF MAKING A THREE POINT LANDING (ALL THE WHEELS TOUCHED AT THE SAME TIME). DURING THE ROLLOUT THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED ON ITS BACK PRESUMABLY DUE TO THE LEVEL OF THE WATER AND SOFT SAND.
THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AND WAS UNSALVAGEABLE. THE PILOT (ONLY SOLE ON BOARD) DID NOT HAVE ANY INJURIES.
THE PILOT CHOSE TO LAND JUST OFFSHORE TO AVOID PEDESTRIANS WALKING ON THE BEACH.
THE PILOT STATED HE HAD THE AIRCRAFT FULLY FUELED AT DAYTONA BEACH AIRPORT (KDAB), FLORIDA AND SAID HE HAD BEEN FLYING THE AIRCRAFT FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS WHEN THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING.
THE PILOT SAID FUEL COULD BE SMELT COMING OUT OF THE FUEL TANKS AS HE GOT OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER FLIPPING OVER. DURING THE RECOVERY OF THE AIRCRAFT IT WAS FLIPPED OVER ONTO THE WHEELS AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WERE NO FUEL CAPS. NO FUEL CAPS WERE FOUND AT THE SCENE BY THE RECOVERY CREW. THE PILOT SAID IN A STATEMENT THAT THE CAPS WERE TUBULAR VENTED CAPS AND THAT THEY CAME OFF WHEN THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER. (LATER THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO FIND A VIDEO OF A PERSON WHO FOUND THE FUEL CAPS BURIED IN THE SAND. HOWEVER, THE FUEL CAPS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION)
FAA INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT REVEAL ANY REASON FOR THE ENGINE STOPPAGE AND AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT NO CAUSE HAS BEEN DETERMINED. THE ENGINE MAY HAVE BEEN DEPRIVED OF FUEL OR HAD CARBURETOR ICE. PERHAPS THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE VENTED CAPS RESTRICTING FUEL FLOW BECAUSE OF A BLOCKAGE OR DEFECT. THE FUEL CAPS WERE NOT PRESENT DURING THE FAA INSPECTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.