# Accident 20250811012259A: Piper PA-12, New Smyrna Beac, FL, August 11, 2025

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 11, 2025, 13:00 local time
- Place: New Smyrna Beac, FL
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: XSXJ
- Location: 29.0784° N, 80.9301° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.0784&lon=-80.9301&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2504M, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2504M) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-12 (registry code 7101202, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-12
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-360 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, private pilot, student
- Pilot flight hours: 1,238 total, 412 in this make and model, 220 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA25LA297](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA297) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250811012259A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON AUGUST 11, 2025, AT APPROXIMATELY 1700Z (1300 EDT), A GENERAL AVIATION ACCIDENT INVOLVING A PIPER PA-12 OCCURRED NEAR NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FLORIDA. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY IN THE VICINITY OF THE PONCE INLET LIGHTHOUSE MARINA FOLLOWING REPORTED ENGINE-RELATED ISSUES DURING BANNER TOWING OPERATIONS. INITIAL REPORTS INDICATED ONE PERSON ON BOARD WITH NO INJURIES, AND THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE WAS UNDETERMINED AT THE TIME OF NOTIFICATION. THE EVENT WAS CLASSIFIED UNDER EVENT ID 977510 WITHIN THE ASO REGION AND WAS INITIALLY REPORTED BY AERIAL MESSAGES RECOVERY.

ON AUGUST 12, 2025, VIDEO EVIDENCE WAS RECEIVED DEPICTING TWO INDIVIDUALS EXITING THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE WATER FOLLOWING THE IMPACT. THIS FOOTAGE CONTRADICTED THE INITIAL REPORT OF A SINGLE OCCUPANT AND PROMPTED REASSESSMENT OF THE NUMBER OF PERSONS INVOLVED. THE VIDEO WAS RETAINED FOR FURTHER REVIEW TO EVALUATE DISCREPANCIES IN PRELIMINARY DATA AND ASSESS POST-IMPACT SURVIVABILITY. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONFIRMED THAT NO OTHER PASSENGERS WERE AUTHORIZED ON THIS FLIGHT, FURTHER COMPLICATING THE OCCUPANT ACCOUNTABILITY ANALYSIS.

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT’S STATEMENT, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED ENGINE SPUTTERING APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR INTO ITS SECOND FLIGHT OF THE DAY WHILE OPERATING AT 500 FEET AGL. THE PILOT REPORTED HAVING FLOWN AN EARLIER BANNER FOR APPROXIMATELY 1.5 HOURS AND ESTIMATED ONE HOUR OF FUEL REMAINING AT THE TIME OF THE ENGINE ANOMALY. FUEL LEVELS WERE NOTED AS 1/4 IN THE LEFT TANK AND 3/4 IN THE RIGHT TANK. THE PILOT CONDUCTED SYSTEM CHECKS WITHOUT A CHECKLIST, CONFIRMING NORMAL OIL PRESSURE AND ENGINE TEMPERATURE READINGS. AFTER A THIRD ENGINE SPUTTER AND A LOSS OF 1200 RPM, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DESCEND. THE PILOT TURNED TOWARD NEW SMYRNA BEACH AND RELEASED THE BANNER BEFORE ATTEMPTING AN ENGINE RESTART. A DISAPPEARING ISLAND WAS IDENTIFIED AS A POTENTIAL LANDING SITE; HOWEVER, DUE TO TAILWIND CONDITIONS, THE PILOT EXECUTED A WATER LANDING. UPON IMPACT, THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED NOSE-OVER. THE PILOT STATED HE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT UNAIDED AND DENIED THE PRESENCE OF ADDITIONAL OCCUPANTS, NOTING THAT A BYSTANDER IN THE WATER OFFERED ASSISTANCE BUT WAS INSTRUCTED TO MOVE AWAY. THE LAST RECORDED FUEL STOP FOR THE AIRCRAFT OCCURRED ON AUGUST 10, 2025, AT A LOCAL FBO FOR 9.6 GAL.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA25LA297](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA297), Aug 11, 2025: Piper PA-12 (N2504M), Ponce Inlet, FL, substantial damage, investigation ongoing

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.