# NTSB ANC08LA010: Piper 601P, N717SB, Penn Yan, NY, October 28, 2007

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: October 28, 2007, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place: Penn Yan, NY
- Coordinates: 42.7194444444444, -76.9411111111111
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.7194&lon=-76.9411&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report April 30, 2008
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office
- Parties: FAA Rochester, New York
- NTSB case key (mKey): 66991
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC08LA010
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/66991/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC08LA010

## Probable cause

The loss of engine power during cruise flight for an undetermined reason.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Loss of engine power, cruise - normal
  - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause)
- Ditching, emergency descent/landing

## Analysis

The private pilot was continuing a cross-country flight after having stopped for fuel. About 20 minutes into the flight, the pilot said both engines started running rough, and he turned the airplane toward the nearest airport and descended. The pilot reported that he did not think the airplane would make it to the airport, and that due to the rugged terrain, he felt it was better to ditch the airplane in a large lake he was flying over. The pilot reported there were no mechanical anomalies prior to the loss of engine power. He said he felt that fuel contamination was the cause of the engine problem, and that not fueling during heavy rain might have prevented the problem. Fuel samples were taken from the fuel supply where he added fuel, and the equipment used to fuel the airplane. No other instances of fuel contamination were reported, and according to the FAA inspector the fuel samples were tested, and found to be clean. The airplane was not recovered from the lake, and has not been examined by the NTSB.

## Factual narrative

On October 28, 2007 about 1330 eastern daylight time, a twin-engine Piper 601P airplane, N717SB, sustained substantial damage during a ditching in a freshwater lake, following a loss of power in both engines during normal cruise, about 7 miles east of Penn Yan, New York. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal cross-country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The solo private certificated pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The airplane departed the Rochester Airport, New York, about 1310.

According to information received from an aviation safety inspector who spoke with the pilot, the pilot landed in Rochester, and refueled the airplane for the continuation of the cross-country flight. After departure, the pilot reported climbing to 5,000 feet where both engines began to run rough. The pilot turned the airplane toward what he thought was the nearest airport at Penn Yan, and descended below the clouds to about 1,500 feet. The pilot reported that he did not think the airplane would make it to the airport, and that due to the rugged terrain, he felt it was better to ditch the airplane in the large lake he was flying over.  After ditching, the pilot was able to deploy a life raft he had aboard the airplane. The depth of the lake is estimated to be about 600 feet. The pilot reported there were no mechanical anomalies prior to the loss of engine power.

In a written statement dated October 28, the pilot reiterated what he had told the FAA inspector. He said he felt that fuel contamination was the cause of the engine problem, and that not fueling during heavy rain might have prevented the problem.

Fuel samples were taken from the fuel supply where he added fuel, and the equipment used to fuel the airplane. No other instances of fuel contamination were reported, and according to the FAA inspector, the fuel samples were tested, and found to be clean.

The airplane was not recovered from the lake, and has not been examined by the NTSB.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N717SB](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N717SB-2008-04-22), registration cancelled 2008-04-22, S/N 61P08088063418, built 1980 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Piper 601P
- Registry model: [Piper AEROSTAR 601P](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-aerostar-601p) (registry code 7106012) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (registry code 41530, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 61P-0808-8063418
- Airframe hours: 2619
- Engines: Lycoming TIO-540-U2A 350 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Alexander Gray
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, December 1, 2006
- Departed: ROC, Rochester, NY
- Destination: DXR, Danbury, CT
- Flight plan: Unknown

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 55; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review September 1, 2007; seat: left; flight hours: 2,413 total, 1,683 in this make and model, 2,413 as pilot in command, 50 in the last 90 days, 26 in the last 30 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 270° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 6,500 ft broken
- Temperature: 48 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter: 30.40 inHg
- Observed at: KPEO, 8 nm away

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20071028829899A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20071028829899A), Oct 28, 2007: Piper PA60601P, Lodi, NY, Destroyed. (-23) At about 1327 EDT, the aircraft was on an IFR flight from kroc to danbury, CT at 5,000 feet altitude in IMC conditions and just cleared the east shore of…

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.

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