- Date
- November 16, 1990, 16:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Alton, NH
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8473HPiper PA-32-301R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 36843
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
The total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the severity of the accident was the unsuitable terrain in which the forced landing was made.
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
During a cross country flight from manchester, new hampshire, to laconia, new hampshire the airplane expereinced total power failure. The passenger stated that as soon as the pilot disconnected the autopilot, the engine failed. Several attempts to restart the engine were made but were futile. The pilot made a forced landing in lake winnipesaukee, Alton, new hampshire. The passenger stated that she and the pilot climbed out on the wing of the airplane and moments later attempted to swim ashore. The passenger said when she got to the shore she could not locate the pilot. The airplane was found and recovered one week later and brought to a hangar in Alton, new hampshire, for examination. The pilot was not found. Post accident examination of the airplane revealed there was appropriate fuel on board and the fuel was not contaminated. The engine was restarted and performed satisfactorily. No engine or airframe anomalies were noted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8473H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-301R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 8213015
- Airframe hours
- 2,195
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- R Mccarter J. Micholson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 31, 1989
- Departed
- MHT · Manchester, NH
- Destination
- LCI · Laconia, NH
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
- 29
- 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
- 1,700 total · 100 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PWM, 65 nm away