- Date
- January 22, 2021, 16:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Homestead, FL · Everglades National Park
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8224HPiper PA-32-301
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- 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
- FAA report
- 20210122002309A
- Case key
- 102596
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
A total loss of power for reasons that could not be determined, as the airplane was not recovered from the water following the ditching.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot, flight instructor, and two passengers departed with full fuel tanks on a short cross-country flight, partially over water. About 40 minutes into the flight, while cruising at an altitude of 5,500 ft mean sea level, the engine began to lose power. The flight instructor turned on the auxiliary fuel pump and switched fuel tanks but was unable to restore engine power. The pilot declared an emergency with air traffic control and ditched the airplane into the water about 1/2-mile from shore. The airplane was not recovered from the water following the accident and was presumed substantially damaged. Given that the wreckage was not recovered from the water, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8224H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-8006060
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 4,375
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540 SER, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Marina Mikes LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2020
- Departed
- FMY · Fort Myers, FL
- Destination
- MTH · Marathon, FL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather, Handheld GPS, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Recreational, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 22, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 970 total · 930 in this make and model · 970 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- MTH, 26 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 15, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.