At about 20:15 eastern time, a Piper PA-31-350 lost power on both engines and was ditched in Massachusetts Bay. The pilot and eight passengers sustained minor injuries. The pilot said the engines surged slightly on takeoff from Nantucket about 30 minutes earlier. He described the surges as minor but still noticeable. The airplane had descended to 1,500 feet when the right aux fuel pump light flashed intermittently, followed by a total loss of power on the right engine. The pilot could not restore power and feathered the right propeller. The airplane was not able to maintain altitude on one engine. Shortly thereafter, the left engine began surging. The pilot was not able to restore power and feathered the left propeller. He ditched at about 85 knots and all occupants exited safely. The airplane sank in about 40 to 45 seconds.
May 06, Nahant, Mass. / Piper Navajo
At about 20:15 eastern time, a Piper PA-31-350 lost power on both engines and was ditched in Massachusetts Bay. The pilot and eight passengers sustained minor injuries. The pilot said the engines surged slightly on takeoff from Nantucket about 30 minutes earlier. He described the surges as minor but still noticeable. The airplane had descended to 1,500 feet when the right aux fuel pump light flashed intermittently, followed by a total loss of power on the right engine. The pilot could not restore power and feathered the right propeller. The airplane was not able to maintain altitude on one engine. Shortly thereafter, the left engine began surging. The pilot was not able to restore powe...
Key Takeaways:
- A Piper PA-31-350 experienced a dual engine power loss and was subsequently ditched in Massachusetts Bay.
- All nine occupants (the pilot and eight passengers) sustained only minor injuries and safely exited the aircraft before it sank.
- The pilot had reported minor engine surges during takeoff from Nantucket approximately 30 minutes prior to the in-flight engine failures.
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