On December 13, 2017, about 1215 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-32-300, Bahamian Registration C6-RVT, experienced a partial loss of engine power and impacted a lake near Oakland Park, Florida. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the Bahamian certificated commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed for the flight. The flight originated at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), Fort Lauderdale, Florida, around 1210, and was destined for Lynden Pindling International Airport (MYNN), Nassau, Bahamas.
According to the pilot, the day before the accident, he topped off the fuel in the airplane at the Grand Bahama International Airport (MYGF), Freeport, Bahamas, and flew to FXE. On the day of the accident, the pilot completed a preflight inspection, sumped the fuel, and no anomalies were noted. In addition, he stated that the inboard fuel tanks were "topped off" and the outboard fuel tanks were about one-quarter full. He started the engine, "let it warm up" prior to taxiing, and called the air traffic control tower to request flight following to MYNN.
The airplane departed on runway 27 and about 500 ft above ground level (agl), the pilot initiated a left turn and reduced the engine power to "climb power." Then, about 700 ft agl, the engine started to lose power. It "intermittently came back," the pilot applied full power, and requested to return to the airport. He verified that the fuel boost pump was on, started to set up an approach to runway 31, however, he realized that the airplane would not reach the airport, and he elected to land in a lake just south of the airport. The pilot "secured" the fuel, extended the flaps for landing, and the airplane impacted the water. The pilot egressed just prior to the airplane sinking in the lake.
The airplane was recovered from the lake about 1 month after the accident and taken to a salvage facility. Initial examination of the airplane revealed that the fuselage was substantially damaged. In addition, the landing gear were impact damaged aft.
According to the pilot, the airplane was equipped with a Lycoming IO-540-K1A5, a 300-hp, engine. According to the airframe maintenance logbook, the most recent 100-hour inspection was completed on November 7, 2017, at a total time of 4,076.87 hours. According to the pilot operating handbook, the fuel capacity of the airplane was 84 gallons. The inboard fuel tank capacity is 25 gallons each side and the outboard fuel tanks have a capacity of 17 gallons on each side. In addition, it stated that the maximum takeoff and landing weight was 3,400 lbs.
An examination of the engine by a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator revealed that the engine remained attached to the airframe. The top spark plugs were removed and exhibited normal wear when compared to the Champion Check-A-Plug chart. A boroscope was used to examine the interior of the cylinders, pistons, and valves, and no anomalies were noted. The propeller was rotated through 360° of motion and crankshaft continuity was confirmed from the propeller flange to the accessory section of the engine. Compression and suction were confirmed on all cylinders by rotating the propeller by hand. The magnetos exhibited damage from the water submersion. The fuel flow divider was disassembled, and the diaphragm was intact with no tears or obstructions in the valve noted. The fuel injectors were removed from the cylinders and no blockages or obstructions were noted. There were no anomalies noted with the engine that would have precluded normal operation prior to the accident.
During the examination of the engine, the NTSB investigator noted that the cabin of the airplane contained multiple household items that nearly reached the ceiling of the cabin. The items could not be weighed after the airplane was submerged in water, since that weight would be inaccurate. When discussing the accident sequence with the pilot, he stated that he did not perform a weight and balance calculation with the contents of the airplane prior to takeoff. Furthermore, despite multiple requests made to the owner of the airplane to obtain the airplane weight and balance information, no response was ever received.
According to the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25B), The pilot should always be aware of the consequences of overloading. An overloaded aircraft may not be able to leave the ground, or if it does become airborne, it may exhibit unexpected and unusually poor flight characteristics. If not properly loaded, the initial indication of poor performance usually takes place during takeoff. In addition, it stated, weight and balance computations should be part of every preflight briefing."