# NTSB MIA06TA093: Piper PA-31-310, N554DJ, St. Thomas, April 18, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Final report - Date: April 18, 2006, 09:08 local (13:08 UTC) - Place: St. Thomas - Coordinates: 18.335393, -64.896797 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=18.3354&lon=-64.8968&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 7 minor - Status: Completed, report March 31, 2008 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 63542 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA06TA093 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/63542/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA06TA093 ## Probable cause The loss of engine power in both engines for an unknown reason. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power, descent - normal - 2 engines - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause) - Forced landing, descent - emergency - Ditching, emergency descent/landing - terrain condition - water ## Analysis The airplane was making a public use flight between two islands for the purpose of transporting residents of a correctional facility to court hearings. During descent to the destination airport, at an altitude of approximately 1,400 feet, both engines started surging. The pilot's attempts to restore normal engine power were unsuccessful, and he ditched the airplane in ocean water with both engines still surging. The airplane stayed afloat as he and the passengers exited, and then it sank. The airplane was not recovered from the ocean, precluding its examination and determination of the reason for the dual loss of engine power. ## Factual narrative On April 18, 2006, about 0908 Atlantic standard time, a Piper PA-31-310, N554DJ, registered to and operated by the Department of Justice of the United States Virgin Islands, as a public-use flight, ditched in the Caribbean Sea while on approach to land at the Cyril E. King Airport, Charlotte Amalie, Saint Thomas, United States Virgin Islands. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company flight plan was filed. The commercial pilot and six passengers reported minor injuries. The airplane sank and has not been recovered; it is presumed destroyed. The flight originated from the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport, Christiansted, Saint Croix, United States Virgin Islands, about 0850. The pilot reported that this was a routine flight conducted every Tuesday for the purpose of transporting residents of a correctional facility on Saint Croix to Saint Thomas for court hearings. The airplane was based on Saint Thomas. The week prior to the accident, the airplane was not flown due to the Easter holiday. The pilot stated that the airplane was parked outside, and there had been a significant amount of rain during the week. About 0830, the pilot preflighted the airplane for a positioning flight from Saint Thomas to Saint Croix. The only abnormality he encountered was an excessive amount of water in the left outboard fuel tank when he drained that tank. He also noted some water when he drained the cross feed; however, that was not abnormal. The outboard fuel tanks each contained about 1/4 tank of fuel, and the inboard fuel tanks each contained about 1/2 tank of fuel. After completing the preflight, he again drained the left outboard fuel tank to insure that all water was drained. The pilot then boarded the airplane and flew to Saint Croix. The flight was unremarkable. He did not shut down the engines during the boarding of the six passengers in Saint Croix. The takeoff and cruise portions of the return flight to Saint Thomas were unremarkable. The pilot stated that during his descent toward the airport, at an indicated altitude of about 1,400 feet, the left engine started to surge. He immediately turned on the electrical fuel boost pumps and moved all of the engine control levers forward. He reduced the descent rate of the airplane from about 600 feet per minute to about 300 feet per minute and maintained an airspeed of 90 knots. About 30 seconds from the time the left engine started surging, the right engine started to surge. He advised the controller in the airport tower of the situation. He instructed the passengers to prepare for a ditching. Both fuel selectors were positioned to the inboard tanks. He switched positions on the fuel tank selectors to the outboard tank position for each engine. The problem did not correct itself. This process was done several times in an attempt to correct the surging. He did not select the cross feed position. He noted the altimeter was indicating 400 feet. He focused on the airspeed so as not to stall and flew the airplane into the water with both engines still surging. The airplane stayed afloat as he and the passengers exited, and then it sank. The pilot stated that his standard operating procedure was to use the inboard fuel tanks for takeoff and landing, and upon reaching cruise altitude, switch to the outboard tanks. When he began his descent, he switched back to the inboard fuel tanks. A flight between the two islands took about 14 to 17 minutes with a cruising altitude of 3,000 feet. The airplane burned about 17.5 gallons of fuel per engine per hour, for a total of about 35 gallons per hour. He did his flight planning based on a fuel burn rate of 40 gallons per hour. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N554DJ](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N554DJ-2014-12-17), registration cancelled 2014-12-17, S/N 31-7612009 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-31-310 - Registry model: [Piper PA-31-310](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-310) (registry code 7103102) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming TI0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (registry code 41533, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 31-7612009 - Airframe hours: 6417 - Engines: Lycoming TIO-540-J2B 350 horsepower reciprocating; Lycoming TIO-540-J2B 350 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Public aircraft - state, Part 91 - Registered owner: Department of Justice of U.S. Virgin Islands - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, March 1, 2006 - Departed: TISX, St. Croix - Destination: TIST, St. Thomas - Flight plan: Company VFR - Airport: TIST, Cyril E. King ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 41; injuries: minor; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review January 1, 2006; seat: left; flight hours: 3,400 total, 1,800 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 190° at 3 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 66 °F - Altimeter: 29.95 inHg - Observed at: TIST, 2 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 20060418029169A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060418029169A), Apr 18, 2006: Piper PA31310, Charlotte Amal, U.S. Virgin Islands, Destroyed. (-23) On 04/18/06, N555DJ, a Piper navajo, departed on a VFR flight from st. croix to st. thomas at approximately 0800-0835 hours local time. While approaching… 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.