Accident Summary
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 operated by a private individual under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE) around 1210 and was destined for Lynden Pindling International Airport (MYNN), Nassau, Bahamas.
Pilot Account
The pilot reported that on the day before the accident, he topped off the fuel at Grand Bahama International Airport (MYGF), Freeport, Bahamas, and flew to FXE. On the accident day, he performed a preflight inspection and sumped the fuel with no anomalies. The inboard fuel tanks were topped off, and the outboard tanks were about one-quarter full. After starting the engine and warming it up, he requested flight following to MYNN. Departing runway 27, at about 500 ft above ground level (agl), he initiated a left turn and reduced engine power to climb power. At about 700 ft agl, the engine began losing power, intermittently returning. He applied full power and requested to return to the airport. He verified the fuel boost pump was on and set up an approach to runway 31 but realized the airplane would not reach the airport. He elected to land in a lake just south of the airport, secured the fuel, extended flaps, and impacted the water. The pilot egressed just before the airplane sank.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a Piper PA-32-300, equipped with a Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 300-hp engine. According to the maintenance logbook, the most recent 100-hour inspection was completed on November 7, 2017, at a total time of 4,076.87 hours. The pilot operating handbook listed fuel capacity as 84 gallons (inboard tanks 25 gallons each, outboard tanks 17 gallons each) and maximum takeoff and landing weight as 3,400 lbs.
Post-Accident Examination
The airplane was recovered from the lake about one month after the accident. Initial examination revealed substantial fuselage damage and impact-damaged landing gear. An NTSB investigator examined the engine, finding it attached to the airframe. Top spark plugs exhibited normal wear; boroscope inspection of cylinders, pistons, and valves showed no anomalies. Crankshaft continuity was confirmed, and compression and suction were verified on all cylinders. The magnetos were damaged by water submersion. The fuel flow divider diaphragm was intact, and fuel injectors had no blockages. No anomalies were found that would have precluded normal operation. During the examination, the cabin contained multiple household items nearly reaching the ceiling; these could not be weighed due to submersion. The pilot stated he did not perform a weight and balance calculation before takeoff, and the owner did not provide weight and balance information despite requests.