- Date
- June 30, 1994, 07:30 local (11:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sandy Hook, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7041YPiper PA-30
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 24, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940630017519A
- Case key
- 8950
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The loss of engine power for reasons undetermined and the inability of the pilot to feather the propeller.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During cruise flight, the number one engine began to make noises. The engine then lost total power. The pilot's attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. The pilot was unable to feather the propeller. The pilot stated, 'noise and vibration got stronger. Shut down number 1 [engine]. Propeller would not feather....could not hold altitude or airspeed....' The pilot ditched the airplane in the atlantic ocean near shady side, new jersey. The airplane came to rest in approximately 200 feet of water, and was not recovered.
Factual narrative
On June 30, 1994, about 0730 eastern daylight time a Piper PA-30, N7041Y, was destroyed after being ditched in the Atlantic Ocean near Sandy Hook, New Jersey. The pilot was not injured. The personal cross-country flight was being operated by William A. Dufour of Greenbelt, Maryland. The flight originated in Leonardtown, Maryland about 0630 and was destined for East Hampton, New York. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. An Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan was filed, but not activated. The flight was being conducted under CFR 14 Part 91.
In a written statement submitted by the pilot, he stated,
...I had changed power settings several times and once again did so. With a lower noise level I could hear a faint clanging (like a tin cup banging on a table) from engine number 1. I increased RPM [power] and noise stopped for a few minutes. It started again, sounding much sharper (clearer) this time....I reduced power again, but the noise grew louder....The noise increased, and I could see the spinner shaking in reference to the cowling....Number 1 engine stopped with a big clunk sound and I could see the propeller was not feathered....I...could not maintain altitude....I attempted to restart number 1 engine. It seemed to just bang and grind....
In the NTSB form 6120.1/2, the pilot further stated,
...Normal takeoff. Set different cruise settings....Number 1 engine started making noise after power change. Noise and vibration got stronger. Shut down number 1 [engine]. Propeller would not feather....prepared for ditching. Could not hold altitude or airspeed...[and] ditched. Got in raft. Saw [the] aircraft sink. Coast guard picked me up about an hour later. All log books were in aircraft....
According to the Federal Aviation Administration Inspector, the airplane came to rest in the Atlantic Ocean in approximately 200 feet of water. The airplane was not recovered.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7041Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-30
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30-44
- Airframe hours
- 6,300
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320-B1A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William A. Dufour
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 2W6 · Leonardtown, MD
- Destination
- HTO · East Hampton, NY
- Flight plan
- IFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 32
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,700 total · 125 in this make and model · 1,700 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 13,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.