History of Flight
On February 20, 2016, at 2305 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-181, N29099, was substantially damaged during a ditching in Setauket Harbor about 1.5 nautical miles northwest of Port Jefferson, New York. The flight instructor, student, and one passenger received minor injuries, and one passenger was fatally injured. The airplane was owned and operated by Positive Rate Gear Up, LLC, as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Fitchburg Municipal Airport (FIT), Fitchburg, Massachusetts, about 2040 and was destined for Republic Airport (FRG), Farmingdale, New York.
According to the flight instructor, the first leg of the instructional flight departed FRG about 1430; he believed that about 40 gallons of fuel was onboard before departing from FRG. According to the student pilot, the pilot of the previous flight told him that the left-wing fuel tank was full, and the right-wing fuel tank was half full (about 36 gallons total). The student stated that he asked the flight instructor if he wanted to refuel, and the flight instructor advised him that they had plenty of fuel. After takeoff from FRG, they flew to FIT at 2,000 to 2,500 feet above mean sea level (msl). The airplane encountered a strong tailwind and arrived in about 45 minutes. They spent some time in the Fitchburg area, then returned to FIT for the return flight.
After takeoff, they departed the airport traffic area to the southwest on a direct heading for FRG and climbed to 4,500 ft msl because of turbulence at lower levels. The flight instructor estimated that the airplane had a headwind of 30-40 knots, and the airplane's groundspeed was about 81 knots during the cruise portion of the flight. He stated that there was no indication of any malfunction of the airplane. During this time, the student pilot asked the flight instructor about the fuel quantity, stating "does the fuel look good to you?" The flight instructor replied "yes." Just before passing Bridgeport, Connecticut, the flight instructor advised the student pilot that they should change their destination to Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) to refuel. As the airplane passed over the Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport, Bridgeport, Connecticut, they turned the airplane southbound, started a slow descent, and crossed Long Island Sound. Upon reaching the area of Port Jefferson, New York, they leveled the airplane about 2,000 ft msl; the engine then "sputtered." The flight instructor immediately turned on the electric fuel pump and instructed the student to switch the fuel selector to the left fuel tank. Once the fuel selector had been selected to the left fuel tank, the engine stopped sputtering.
The flight instructor informed air traffic control that he wanted to divert ISP, which, at the time, was 10 nautical miles south of their location. About 2-3 minutes later, the engine sputtered again and then lost power. The instructor then took control of the airplane from the student pilot and advised the tower controller at ISP that he was declaring an emergency and was going to attempt to land on the north shore of Long Island. The tower controller immediately notified emergency responders. A Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) helicopter was airborne at the time and immediately proceeded toward the last known location of the airplane.
The instructor then made a 180° turn to the right and headed for the shoreline since he believed this was the most suitable place for landing and knew from experience that the area along the shore was normally clear of obstacles and houses. As the airplane descended, the instructor was unable to see the shoreline due to the darkness and decided to ditch the airplane as close as he could to the shoreline, judging his distance from the shore by using the lights from the houses. He then held the airplane off the water for as long as possible to keep from touching down on the water with excessive airspeed and risk nosing over (the airplane was equipped with fixed landing gear).
Upon touchdown, the flight instructor opened the cabin door and instructed everyone to exit the airplane, grab the life vest that was in the baggage compartment of the airplane, and hold on to him. The student pilot then handed the instructor the life vest. One of the passengers then jumped into the water and started swimming for shore. The second passenger also jumped into the water. The student pilot was the last to egress from the airplane. Neither the student pilot nor the passengers were wearing life vests.
About 3 minutes later, the airplane was located by the SCPD helicopter. Patrol officers from SCPD also responded to the shoreline and, after locating several kayaks behind a residence, made their way onto the water. They heard screams for help, paddled out toward the spotlight from the helicopter, rescued one of the passengers, and then, with the assistance of an SCPD marine patrol boat, the flight instructor. The student pilot was rescued by a patrol officer who entered the water on foot and threw a life ring to him and then pulled him to shore.
A search by SCPD and the US Coast Guard for the missing passenger was conducted but he was not found. About 2 months later, on April 11, 2016, his body was discovered on a beach in Setauket Harbor, New York.
Personnel Information
The flight instructor held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single- and multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. He also held a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA first-class medical certificate was issued November 12, 2015. He reported 2,800 total hours of flight experience, of which 1,400 hours were in the accident airplane make and model.
The student pilot reported that he had accrued 20 total hours of flight experience, 19 of which were in the accident airplane make and model.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was a four-seat, low-wing monoplane of conventional metal construction. It was equipped with fixed tricycle-type landing gear and was powered by a four-cylinder, direct-drive, horizontally opposed engine rated at 180 horsepower at 2700 rpm. According to FAA and maintenance records, the airplane was manufactured in 1979. The most recent 100-hour inspection was completed on January 12, 2016, at 5,091 total hours. At the time of the accident, the airplane had accumulated 5,173.97 total hours of flight time.
Fuel was stored in two 25-gallon tanks (24 gallons usable). The Piper PA-28-181 Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) specified that during preflight inspection, the fuel quantity gauges were to be checked, the fuel tank sumps and fuel strainer were to be drained, and the fuel quantity was to be visually checked by opening the fuel tank caps. An aftermarket checklist was found in the airplane, though not specified for the PA-28-181, it was similar to the POH's preflight inspection regarding fuel.
Review of the POH indicated fuel consumption rates: at 75% power, 10.5 gph; at 65% power, 9.0 gph; at 55% power, 7.8 gph. At a 65% power setting, with full fuel tanks, endurance would be about 5.3 hours, and with 40 gallons, about 4.4 hours. Examination of aircraft rental and fueling records revealed that the airplane had been operated for 5.1 hours since it was last refueled. When asked about mixture leaning, the student pilot advised that he had only seen the flight instructor lean the mixture during taxi on the ground at FRG and FIT.
Meteorological Information
About 9 minutes before the accident (2256), the recorded weather at ISP (11 miles from the site) included: wind 220° at 10 knots, 10 miles visibility, sky clear, temperature 7°C, dew point 3°C, altimeter 29.82 inHg. The National Weather Service Surface Analysis Chart for 2200 EST depicted surface winds from the south-southwest at 10 to 20 knots. The Upton Long Island 1900 sounding showed a surface-based temperature inversion with a top near 2,000 feet, a moderate risk of low-level wind shear in the lowest 1,000 ft, and light-to-moderate turbulence below 3,000 ft.
Winds aloft forecasts for stations near the route indicated at 3,000 ft: BOS 270° at 34 kts, BDL 280° at 26 kts, JFK 270° at 40 kts. At 6,000 ft: BOS 260° at 38 kts, BDL 270° at 36 kts, JFK 280° at 40 kts. Sunset occurred at 1732; end of civil twilight at 1800. The moon was waxing gibbous (97% illuminated) at an azimuth of 187° and altitude 62°. No record was found that the pilot or instructor obtained a weather briefing.
Wreckage and Impact Information
After the ditching, the airplane remained afloat for about 5 minutes before it sank nose first to the bottom of the bay, coming to rest on its landing gear about 100 ft northwest of Buoy S8. Charted water depth was between 1 ft and 3.5 ft; however, the airplane ditched just after high tide so an additional 5 ft of water was present. Only 1 ft of the vertical stabilizer was visible above the water's surface after the airplane sank.
Examination after recovery revealed substantial damage due to salt water immersion, a broken engine mount, damage to the right wing inboard leading edge, damage to the bottom of the inboard right wing, and damage to the aft fuselage structure just forward of the stabilator. The pitot tube was clear, and the stall vane moved freely. Flight control continuity was established. The stabilator trim was neutral. The wing flaps were fully extended (40°).
Visual examination of the fuel tanks through the filler ports revealed only a small amount of liquid with the odor of seawater. About 4 gallons of a semi-opaque liquid was drained from both fuel tanks; testing with water-finding paste indicated the presence of water. The outlet screens were free of blockages. The throttle was full forward, mixture full rich, carburetor heat off, primer in and locked. The fuel selector was in the left fuel tank position. The master switch, fuel pump switch, and several lighting switches were in the "ON" position.
Propeller examination showed light leading-edge erosion and no S-bending. Drive train continuity was established, thumb compression was present on all cylinders, and internal borescope examination revealed no anomalies. Both magnetos were secure; internal examination showed no preimpact anomalies, only corrosion from salt water. Spark plugs indicated worn-out service life for massive electrode plugs and normal for fine wire plugs. The engine oil system was intact; the oil suction screen contained a piece of material consistent with a disposable paper rag covering about 25% of the screen length. The oil filter had no metal. The fuel strainer was devoid of fuel; the carburetor float bowl liquid was primarily water with a faint odor of 100LL fuel.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Suffolk County Office of the Medical Examiner performed an autopsy and toxicological testing on the deceased passenger. The cause of death was drowning; toxicological specimens were negative for any drugs of abuse.
Organizational and Management Information
Positive Rate Gear Up, LLC, was a flying club based at FRG. The club's primary goal was to provide members with basic general aviation airplanes for training and leisure. The fleet included several Piper PA-28 models, a PA-34-200, and two Cessna 172s. The club offered discovery flights, primary flight training, and advanced training including private pilot, instrument, commercial, flight instructor, and multi-engine ratings.
Probable Cause
The report did not state a probable cause.
Conclusion
This article summarizes factual information from the accident investigation report without interpretation or analysis.