# NTSB ERA21LA104: Piper PA28, N82746, St. Petersburg, FL, January 17, 2021 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: January 17, 2021, 09:30 local (14:30 UTC) - Place: St. Petersburg, FL · On the beach. - Coordinates: 27.766788, -82.770986 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.7668&lon=-82.7710&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 102528 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA21LA104 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/102528/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102528 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA104 ## Probable cause A total loss of engine power as a result of the loose fuel line B-nut connected to the engine driven fuel pump. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fuel system: fuel distribution](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022820): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Malfunction (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-181, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022820/cases.md?model=7102807), [All aircraft, 141 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022820/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Maneuvering: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-181, 26 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=7102807), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) ## Analysis According to the flight instructor, after departing the airport and climbing out over the ocean, she and the pilot-rated student were discussing climbing higher when the engine lost total power. The instructor attempted to restart the engine by turning on the fuel pump, carburetor heat, and switching the fuel selector, without success. She searched for a place to land and performed a forced landing to a beach. During the landing roll, the right wing struck a pole in the sand, resulting in substantial damage. An examination of the engine revealed that the B-nut was loose on the engine driven fuel pump between the electric fuel pump. When the electric fuel pump was turned on, fuel leaked out of the line where the B-nut was loose. A mechanic tightened the line, and fuel flowed without issue. There were no other anomalies with the engine during the examination that would have precluded normal operation. Given this information, it is likely that a loss of fuel pressure/flow to the engine occurred as a result of the loose B-nut, which resulted in the total loss of engine power. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N82746](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N82746), registered now, S/N 28-8190054, built 1980 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA28 (181) - Registry model: [Piper PA-28-181](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (registry code 7102807) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 28-8190054 - Year built: 1980 - Airframe hours: 15189 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-A4M 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: St Pete Aviation Services LLC - Registered owner: St Pete Aviation Services LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, November 25, 2020, 92 hours before - Departed: SPG, St. Petersburg, FL - Equipment: Stall warning system, ADS-B ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 28; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review December 3, 2019; seat: right; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 984 total, 267 in this make and model, 794 as pilot in command, 52 in the last 90 days, 6 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 49; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review November 22, 2019; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 498 total, 42 in this make and model, 450 as pilot in command, 3 in the last 90 days, 3 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 70° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 6,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 57 °F, dew point 50 °F - Altimeter: 30.08 inHg - Observed at: SPG ## 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 20210117000459A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210117000459A), Jan 17, 2021: Piper PA-28-181, Treasure Island, FL, Substantial damage. On January 17/2021, at 9:03AM EST, while on an instructional flight, N82746, a PA-28-181,[privacy data omitted] (st petersburg, FL) made an off-airport landing… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 13, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102528. 13.2 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 6.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11917065&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=LA104%206120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record - FAA inspector - engine examination (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 234 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11918363&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memorandum%20Of%20Record%20Color%20FAA%20Inspector-Rel.pdf - Most recent engine 100 hr inspection (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 5.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11918189&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Most%20Recent%20100%20Hr%20Inspection_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Investigative photographs (item 4, PDF, 2 pages, 2 photos, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11917772&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array%20LA104-Rel.pdf 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. --- 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.