Piper PA28 N8447R

Summary

On 12 March 2017 at about 17:35 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N8447R was involved in an accident near Tampa, Florida, 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.

Date

12 March 2017 at 17:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Tampa, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Peter O Knight (TPF)

Coordinates

27.9106, -82.4497

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N8447R

Category

Airplane

Year built

1966

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tampa → Sebastian

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA17LA128

Nobody was injured.

A collapsed engine induction duct, which resulted in restricted air flow to the engine and a subsequent loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the operator's failure to ensure that the correct induction duct was installed.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot stated that he rented the airplane 2 days before the accident flight to fly across the state for several days. On the day of the accident, the pilot performed a preflight inspection of the airplane with no anomalies noted. After takeoff and during the initial climb, the pilot noticed a loss of engine power, and the rpm started to drop. He attempted to return to the departure airport and land on an intersecting runway, but during the turn, he realized he would not make it back to the airport; he ditched the airplane into the surrounding water. The airplane was substantially damaged during the ditching. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the induction duct from the air filter to the carburetor had collapsed, which likely restricted air flow to the engine and ultimately resulted in the loss of engine power. Further examination revealed that the induction duct on the accident airplane was not approved for installation on the engine. About 3 years before the accident, the Federal Aviation Administration had issued a special airworthiness information bulletin recommending operators inspect airplanes of this model to ensure that the correct induction duct was installed; that there was no loose or displaced supporting wire or signs of wear, perforation, or deterioration; and that the part had not collapsed. However, the operator was unaware of the bulletin and had not performed the inspection. After the accident, the operator inspected the fleet and installed the approved part on all affected airplanes.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.