Piper PA-31-350 N350RL
27 October 2010 · Aguadilla, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 27 October 2010 at about 21:40 local time, a Piper PA-31-350 registered N350RL, operated by Jose A. Chanza, was involved in an accident near Aguadilla, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 21:40
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Aguadilla, United States
- Coordinates
- 18.7472, -67.3472
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350
- Registration
- N350RL
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Jose A. Chanza
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Punta Cana → San Juan
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA11LA037
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's improper decision to ditch the airplane after a reported partial loss of engine power and overheat on one engine for undetermined reasons.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot stated he experienced a high temperature in the right engine and a partial loss of engine rpm while at 9,000 feet mean sea level in cruise flight. He requested and received clearance from air traffic control to descend and divert to another airport. He leveled the airplane at 2,500 feet and both engines were operating; however, the right engine experienced a loss of rpm which made it difficult to maintain altitude. The pilot reduced power in both engines, turned the fuel boost pump on, opened the cowl flaps and the engine continued to run with a low rpm. The pilot elected to ditch the airplane in the ocean, instead of landing as soon as practical at the nearest suitable airport, as instructed in the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH). Additionally, he shut down the right engine before performing the troubleshooting items listed in the POH. He attributed his decision to ditch the airplane to poor single-engine performance and windy conditions. The wind at the destination airport was from 060 degrees at 6 knots and runway 8 was in use at the time of the accident. The airplane was not recovered.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-31 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 2010 | Piper PA-31-350 | Saint Michael, Alaska, United States | Bering Air Inc | No injuries | - |
| 19 Sep 2010 | Piper PA-31-350 | South Bimini, Bahamas | Pioneer Air Services | No injuries | - |
| 4 Apr 2010 | Piper PA-31-350 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | Pacific Air Charters | No injuries | - |
| 8 May 2010 | Piper PA-31-350 | Eek, Alaska, United States | Grant Aviation Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 Aug 2011 | Piper PA-31-310 | Cabazon, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Oct 2009 | Piper PA-31-350 | Nondalton, Alaska, United States | Lake Clark Air Inc | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Mar 2010 | Robinson R22 BETA II | Cotulla, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 24 Apr 2010 | Cessna 172N | Poughkeepsie, New York, United States | Cohen Bruce M | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jun 2010 | Piper PA-28-181 | Umpire, Arkansas, United States | Michael Hunt | Fatal | 4 |
| 22 Jul 2010 | Beechcraft V35 | Bend, Oregon, United States | Richard Degryse | No injuries | - |
| 28 Aug 2010 | Piper PA-15 | Duvall, Washington, United States | Petersen Rodger E | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Oct 2010 | Cessna 172N | Salem, Oregon, United States | Graham Aviation Services | No injuries | - |