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August 18, 2023 · Piper PA-32-300 · N405WB

Fishers Island, NY

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
August 18, 2023
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (3 uninjured)
Location
Fishers Island, NY
Aircraft
Piper PA-32-300 (1975)
Tail Number
N405WB
Operator
New England Airlines
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
ERA23LA354

About 40 minutes into the flight, while operating at 4,500 ft mean sea level (msl), the engine began to run “rough” and suddenly stopped producing power. The pilot immediately turned to a nearby airport that was only a few miles away. The propeller continued to windmill, but after troubleshooting he was unable to restart the engine; he began a left, spiraling descent to the runway. He misjudged the winds, and his speed and altitude were insufficient to land safely on the runway. He performed a forced landing short of the runway in dense brush, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. Postaccident examination of the engine and associated systems revealed no preimpact malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation and the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

NTSB Probable Cause

The loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined. Contributing was the pilot’s misjudgment of airspeed and altitude during the forced landing.

Full Narrative

On August 18, 2023, about 1750 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32-300, N405WB, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Fishers Island, New York. The commercial pilot and two passengers were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on-demand charter flight. According to the pilot, the flight was enroute from Martha's Vineyard Airport (MVY), Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts, to Montauk Airport (MTP), Montauk, New York, about a 70-nm flight along the southern coast of Connecticut. While cruising at an altitude of 4,500 ft msl, about 40 minutes into the flight, the engine started running “rough” for several seconds and then suddenly lost power. The pilot’s attempts to regain engine power were unsuccessful. The airplane had just passed over Elizabeth Field Airport (0B8), Fishers Island, New York, so the pilot diverted toward 0B8. Once over the east end of the airport, he performed a spiraling descent to lose altitude. After reaching 1,000 ft msl while on the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern for runway 30, he turned to the base leg but misjudged the altitude and the winds, which prevented the airplane from reaching the runway. The pilot made a forced landing short of the runway on the edge of a beach covered with dense brush. Postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the airframe and wings; the left landing gear had collapsed and there was buckling of the airframe. A subsequent examination revealed that all 3 propeller blades were bent slightly aft about the midspan point. The throttle, propeller, and mixture controls were actuated and they freely moved the cables and associated linkages to the engine. Compression and valvetrain continuity were established on each cylinder with corresponding compression achieved. Both magnetos were manually spun and there was normal firing of both magneto impulse couplings that produced spark at all the leads. All 12 spark plugs were noted to be in good condition. The fuel system, including the injectors, fuel flow manifold and selector revealed no anomalies. Fuel was present in the system, and it had the consistency and smell of 100 low-lead aviation fuel. The engine-driven fuel pump rotated freely with no binding or roughness noted. It showed some evidence of wear on the spline gear teeth and drive splines. The induction system was normal and the engine was well lubricated; there were 9 quarts of oil in the engine and the oil filter was examined, revealing no anomalies. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time17:50 EDT
Nearest AirportElizabeth Fld (0.5nm ENE)
Flight Plan FiledVFR
Flight Plan ActivatedYes
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftPiper PA-32-300
Tail NumberN405WB
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorNew England Airlines
Operating RulePart 135
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · IO-540-KIA5 · Reciprocating · 300
Seats6

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (3 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured3
Total3
Crew 1None
Crew 2Age 71 · Second Class · None
Crew 3None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind250° @ 12 kt, gusting 21 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point61 F
Altimeter29.68 inHg
Observation Time17:56
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data