Piper PA-32-260 N3610W

Summary

On 8 July 1994 at about 14:16 local time, a Piper PA-32-260 registered N3610W was involved in an accident near Gulf of Mexico. 4 people were on board and one died, 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 July 1994 at 14:16

Classification

Accident

Location

Gulf of Mexico

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-32-260

Registration

N3610W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Myers → Key West

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA94FA175

1 person died.

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

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.