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 carrying a pilot and eight passengers experienced a complete loss of power in both engines after takeoff from Nantucket.
- The incident began with minor engine surges on takeoff, followed by the right engine failing, and then the left engine failing, leading to a ditching in Massachusetts Bay.
- All nine occupants sustained only minor injuries and safely exited the aircraft before it sank.
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