Accident
On March 12, 2017, about 1335 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, registration N8447R, impacted the water during a forced landing shortly after takeoff from Peter O Knight Airport (TPF), Tampa, Florida. The private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight to Sabastian Municipal Airport (X26), Sabastian, Florida, conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
Pilot Account
According to the pilot, he rented the airplane two days prior to the accident flight to fly from X26 to TPF. The flight on March 10 was uneventful. On March 12, he arrived at the airport around 1230 and performed a preflight inspection, including sumping the tanks (fuel clear of debris). The engine run-up and magneto checks were normal. He started his takeoff roll on runway 22.
At 60 knots airspeed, he rotated and began to climb. Upon reaching about 100 ft above ground level, he noticed a loss of engine power and the rpm started to drop. Fuel and oil pressure were good. He considered aborting but decided to try to turn back to the airport. During the turn, he realized he would not make it and opted to ditch into the surrounding water. After ditching, he exited through the cockpit door and was rescued by a local boater.
Wreckage Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector noted that the left wing separated from the airplane, the windshield was fractured in several areas, and the right wing leading edge was damaged.
Further examination by a National Transportation Safety Board investigator revealed that the induction hose from the air filter to the carburetor was collapsed, and the spring inside the duct was positioned sideways.
Induction Hose Analysis
The duct was sent to the airframe manufacturer for visual examination. It was determined that the duct was not approved for installation on the PA-28-140 aircraft; specifically, it was not of a type approved for negative pressure environments, was not the correct length, and was not double-walled. Based on available information, the installation date could not be determined.
The FAA had issued Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) CE-14-23 on August 6, 2014, recommending that operators and owners of PA-28 airplanes inspect the air inlet hose (duct) and verify it was an approved part without signs of damage. The operator reported they were unaware of the SAIB. After the accident, they grounded their fleet and found all airplanes had the unapproved duct installed; they subsequently ordered and installed the approved part.