- Date
- August 22, 1992, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Newburyport, MA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3985WPiper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920822032729A
- Case key
- 37216
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 loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
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 was cruising 200 feet offshore at about 75 feet above the ocean, when the engine lost power. The pilot said he unsuccessfully tried to restart the engine several times before ditching in the ocean. The airplane sank in about 45 feet of water. The airplane had not flown in over 2 years, and the pilot had not had the airplane inspected prior to departure. The last annual inspection was performed about 5 years prior to the accident. The FAA examionation of the engine did not dislclose evidence of mechancial malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3985W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-956
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Alfred L. Moseley
- Registered owner
- Alfred L. Moseley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 13, 1987
- Departed
- 7B3 · Hampton, NH
- Destination
- BV4 · Beverly, MA
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
- 73
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,030 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.