Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Gulf Of Mexico
Friday, July 8, 1994 10:16 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WHILE OVER WATER ABOUT 14 MILES NORTH OF THE DESTINATION, A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER OCCURRED. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES FAILED TO RESTORE ENGINE POWER. BEFORE DITCHING, THE PILOT ADVISED ATC OF HIS POSITION, AND RADAR RETURN AT 100 FEET WAS MARKED ON THE CONTROLLER'S RADAR SCOPE. THE AIRPLANE WAS DITCHED AT SEA, AND THE 4 OCCUPANTS EGRESSED FROM THE SINKING PLANE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT 3 LIFE PRESERVERS WERE ABOARD THE PLANE, BUT THEY WERE NOT RECOVERED BEFORE THE PLANE SANK (HE HAD NOT BRIEFED THE PASSENGERS ABOUT THE LIFE PRESERVERS BEFORE FLIGHT). ABOUT 3 MINUTES AFTER DITCHING, A COAST GUARD AIRPLANE (WHICH WAS ON A TRAINING MISSION IN THE VICINITY, BUT WAS NOT DROP EQUIPPED) FLEW OVER AND FOUND THE 4 SURVIVORS. A RESCUE BOAT AND HELICOPTER WERE DISPATCHED TO THE AREA, BUT ONE OF THE SURVIVORS DROWNED BEFORE HELP ARRIVED. THE DITCHED AIRPLANE WAS NOT RECOVERED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO AN UNDETERMINED REASON. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: INADEQUATE PASSENGER BRIEFING BY THE PILOT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/8/1994
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1016
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City GULF OF MEXICO
Event State GULF OF MEXICO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 00000
Event Date Year 1994
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 14
Degrees magnetic from airport 356
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 946 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 187
Weather Observation Facility ID EYW
Elevation of weather observation facility 4
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 11
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 8000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 1500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 28
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 24
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 110
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 3
Injury Total All 4
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 486
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 8 1994 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1052
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 6 2000 11:44AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N3610W
NTSB Number MIA94FA175
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-32-260
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-32-260
Aircraft Serial Number 32-510
Certified Max Gross Weight 3400
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 6
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Aug 28 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name TURNER, MICHAEL S.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 18501 CROSSWIND AVE.
Aircraft Owner City N. FORT MYERS
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33917
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code 94FL
Departure City FORT MYERS
Departure State FL
Departure Country
Departure Time 915
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code EYW
Destination City KEY WEST
Destination State FL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --