NTSB Reports: May 2016

At 2305 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a ditching in the Setauket Harbor. The flight instructor, student and one passenger received minor injuries. One passenger is missing and presumed to be fatally injured at this writing. Night visual conditions prevailed. While cruising at around 2000 feet msl, the engine sputtered. Turning on the electric fuel pump and switching the fuel selector to the left fuel tank stopped the sputtering. The flight chose to divert to an airport 10 nm south.

Editorial Staff

Tuesday, April 19, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Numerous incidents involved partial or total loss of engine power, frequently leading to forced landings, ditchings, or parachute deployments.
Several engine power failures were attributed to fuel mismanagement, including exhaustion and improper fuel selector usage.
Other accidents encompassed landing gear malfunctions, hard landings, and loss of control during takeoff or aborted landing attempts.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Piper PA-28-181 Archer

February 20, 2016, Port Jefferson, N.Y.

While cruising at around 2000 feet msl, the engine “sputtered.” Turning on the electric fuel pump and switching the fuel selector to the left fuel tank stopped the sputtering. The flight chose to divert to an airport 10 nm south. Shortly, the engine sputtered again and lost power. The CFI took control of the airplane and declared an emergency, then turned 180 degrees right toward a shoreline for a forced landing. According to the NTSB, he ditched the airplane as close as he could to the shoreline. The pilots and passengers exited the aircraft, which eventually sank in eight feet of water at high tide. The two pilots and one passenger were rescued; the second passenger has not been found. There was no evidence of fuel in either the left or right fuel tanks, nor in the fuel strainer or carburetor float bowl. Records revealed the airplane had been operated 5.1 hours since it was last refueled.