- Date
- March 3, 1999, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean)
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4802SPiper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 18, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990303001989A
- Case key
- 45859
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 loss of engine power for an undetermined reason, resulting in a forced landing in water, and subsequent sinking of the airplane.
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 flight was cruising at 4,500 feet, and was about 20 minutes into the flight, when the pilot reported the engine oil temperature rose rapidly to the red line. About 14 minutes later the oil pressure dropped, the engine ran rough, and the pilot could not maintain altitude. He radioed his position on a frequency of 121.5, 60 DME (distance measuring equipment), off the Nassau VOR 120 degree radial. He elected to ditch near a boat. About 50 feet above the water the propeller stopped, and he glided as close to the boat as he could. The airplane sank and the pilot was picked up from the water, by the occupants of the boat. The airplane was not recovered from the ocean and the cause of the engine failure was not determined.
Factual narrative
On March 3, 1999, about 1100 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-32-260, N4802S, registered to J. Franklin Corporation, ditched in the Atlantic Ocean, during a forced landing while on a Title 14 CFR Part 91 business flight. Visual meteorological conditions were reported, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sank in 8,000 feet of water, and is presumed to be destroyed. The commercial-rated pilot reported no injuries. The flight had originated at 1030, from Cat Island, Bahamas, en route to Nassau, Bahamas.
The flight was cruising at 4,500 feet, and was about 20 minutes into the flight, when the pilot reported the engine oil temperature rose rapidly to the red line. About 14 minutes later the oil pressure dropped, the engine ran rough, and the pilot could not maintain altitude. He radioed his position on a frequency of 121.5, 60 DME (distance measuring equipment), off the Nassau VOR 120-degree radial. He elected to ditch near a boat. About 50 feet above the water the propeller stopped, and he glided as close to the boat as he could. The airplane sank and the pilot was picked up from the water, by the occupants of the boat.
The airplane was not recovered from the ocean and the cause of the engine failure was not determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4802S
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-1187
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Cutlass Bay Resort
- Registered owner
- J. Franklin Corporation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MYCE · Cat Island, OF
- Destination
- MYNN · Nassau, OF
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,942 total · 350 in this make and model · 1,889 as pilot in command · 188 in the last 90 days · 75 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 17 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MYN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.