2008 Piper PA-28-161 Ferry Flight Accident in the Atlantic Ocean (N60842)

Flight Details and Accident Overview On February 21, 2008, at approximately 1139 UTC, a Piper PA-28-161, registration N60842, was presumed to have sustained substantial damage when the pilot ditched in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 120 miles southeast of Vik, Iceland. The pilot was presumed to have been fatally injured. The aircraft was operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 ferry flight that departed Reykjavik Airport (BIRK) near Reykjavik, Iceland, at about 0930 UTC, with Wick Airport (EGPC) near Wick, United Kingdom, as its destination. The flight was intended to ferry the airplane from the United States to a customer in Germany. A ferry company representative stated that the Piper and a Cessna had flown to BIRK, with the Cessna departing the following day. The Piper remained at BIRK for three days after being advised to delay departure until icing conditions moved from the route. The pilot chose to depart on the day of the accident and reportedly encountered icing and a loss of engine power. At about 1139 UTC, an emergency locator transmitter signal associated with the aircraft was detected by a satellite in the area. Search and rescue operations did not locate the airplane or the pilot.