- Date
- March 30, 1997, 17:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean)
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N576PRPiper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970330004079A
- Case key
- 38239
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 undetermined reason(s). A factor relating to the accident was: the pilot's poor in-flight planning/decision by flying at too low of an altitude to glide to shore for a forced landing.
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 while descending over water for an approach to land, the engine lost all power. Attempts to restore engine power were unsuccessful, and the pilot ditched the airplane about 5 nautical miles from shore. The airplane was not recovered; therefore, the reason for the reported loss of engine power was not determined.
Factual narrative
On March 30, 1997, about 1745 Atlantic standard time, a Piper PA-32-260, N576PR, registered to a private individual, was ditched in the Atlantic Ocean about 5 nautical miles northwest of the Island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 positioning flight. The airplane was presumed to be substantially damaged and was not recovered and the airline transport-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated about 1715 from the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The pilot stated that while descending for approach to land, the engine experienced a total loss of power. Unable to land at the destination airport he ditched the airplane. At the time of the loss of engine power he reported having 3.5 hours of fuel on-board. The airplane was not recovered; therefore, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N576PR
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-945
- Airframe hours
- 6,100
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Aero Bieke, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Pablo Speroni
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 15, 1997 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- SJU · San Juan, PR
- Destination
- VQS · Vieques, PR
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
- 37
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 900 in this make and model · 5,900 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- NRR
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.