- Date
- June 24, 1995, 09:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean)
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N57880Piper PA-36-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 19, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950624039079A
- Case key
- 37784
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
Loss of engine power for an undetermined reason(s).
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
The pilot stated that he had just changed the fuel selector to the hopper tank and the engine lost power. He switched the fuel selector back to the main tank but was unable to restart the the engine. He ditched the airplane and was picked up by a passing boat. The airplane was not recovered.
Factual narrative
On June 24, 1995, about 0930 eastern daylight time, N57880, a Piper PA-36-300, registered to Cooperativa de Elet LTDA, ditched in the Atlantic Ocean, about 35 miles east of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 ferry flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sank and is presumed to be destroyed and the pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated from Fort Lauderdale, about 0855 the same day.
The pilot stated that the purpose of the flight was to ferry the airplane to Brazil, and his first destination was Bimini, Bahamas. He stated he had just changed the fuel selector to the hopper tank and the engine failed. He switched the fuel selector back to the main tank and attempted to restart the engine with negative results. He then ditched the airplane, exited, and was picked up by a passing boat. Multiple requests for a Pilot/ Operators Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1/2 were made with negative results.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N57880
- Reported as
- Piper PA-36-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7760041
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 265 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Boyds Farm Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- FXE · Ft Lauderdale, FL
- Destination
- ZBV · Bimini, OF
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- Certificate
- Foreign
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Seat
- Front
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 81 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FLL, 39 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.
Other investigations on N57880 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.