Accident Overview
On December 19, 2020, about 1216 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-46-310P, registration N662TC, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Naples, Florida. The pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Flight History
The flight originated at Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport (SRQ), Sarasota, Florida, destined for Key West International Airport (EYW), Key West, Florida. The pilot reported filing an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan and conducted a preflight inspection, including draining both fuel tanks for water. No water was visible, and each tank contained about 50 gallons of fuel. The fuel selector was on the right tank, and the engine started without delay. The pilot received IFR clearance and took off at 1139.
After takeoff, air traffic control (ATC) cleared the pilot to climb to 7,000 ft above mean sea level, and the flight continued until it was near Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), Fort Myers, Florida, then cleared direct to EYW. Until this point, the engine was running smoothly and was leaned to 50° lean of peak. About 1213, the pilot switched the fuel selector to the left fuel tank.
Engine Failure and Ditching
Immediately after switching fuel tanks, the engine started to sputter and lost power. The pilot switched back to the right fuel tank but there was no change. He then tried different power settings, set the mixture to full rich, and switched tanks again without regaining power. The pilot advised ATC of an engine problem and requested landing at the nearest airport. ATC instructed him to contact Naples Municipal Airport (APF) tower, which cleared him to land on runway 5. However, the pilot realized he was already well below 5,000 ft msl and advised the tower he could not make the airport. He informed the controller he was heading for the beach and would land in the water.
The pilot focused on the airplane’s attitude and airspeed. The airplane touched down in the water, came to a sudden stop, and floated. Apart from the propeller, no visible damage was apparent. He unlatched his seatbelt, opened the upper part of the airstair door, and egressed. He then helped his passenger egress, and both started swimming toward the beach. After 10 to 15 minutes, they were picked up by a boat and later transported to the hospital. The airplane eventually sank and came to rest in 6 ft of water and was later recovered.
Post-Accident Examination
The pilot advised that an annual inspection had been completed on October 15, 2020, and test flights were all conducted on the right fuel tank. This was the first time he had selected the left fuel tank since before the annual inspection. The airplane was equipped with an Insight G4 Engine monitor, capable of monitoring engine parameters including cylinder head temperature (CHT), exhaust gas temperature (EGT), fuel flow, and acceleration data. Data stored on an SD memory card revealed about 1 hour of flight data. About 7 minutes before the end of the recorded data, EGT and CHT indicated a rapid decrease on all cylinders, along with a rapid decrease of turbine inlet temperature, indicative of the engine being starved of fuel.
Examination of the wreckage revealed substantial damage to the propeller, wings, and aft fuselage. No evidence of preimpact failures or malfunctions of the airplane or engine was found. During examination of the fuel system, the fuel selector was observed in the RIGHT fuel tank position, confirmed with low pressure air. About 3 ounces of blue liquid, consistent with 100LL aviation gasoline, was recovered from the fuel line between the fuel selector and engine. The fuel return line to the right tank was clear, and the vapor return check valve was functional. The fuel return line to the left tank was also clear, and the check valve was functional. However, when the fuel selector was positioned to the LEFT tank position, continuity could not be established with low pressure air.
Fuel System Findings
Further examination revealed a fuel selector valve labeled FERRY TANK installed in the left fuel line between the factory-installed fuel selector and the left fuel tank. This ferry tank fuel selector was observed in the ON position, which blocked continuity from the left fuel tank to the engine. Continuity could only be established when the ferry tank fuel selector was positioned to the OFF position. With low pressure air, no continuity could be established from the ferry tank fuel line attached to the ferry tank’s fuel selector. The ferry tank fuel selector valve was mounted between the pilot and copilot seats on the forward side of the main wing spar, in the area where the pilot and copilot normally enter and exit the cockpit. No guard was installed over the valve, nor was the selector valve handle safety wired in the OFF position to deactivate the valve, even though a ferry tank was not installed. This configuration could not be found in the Piper Aircraft PA-46-310P/350P Maintenance Manual, nor did it appear in the fuel system description or the fuel system schematic contained in Chapter 28 of the manual.
Maintenance Records
Review of the airplane’s history revealed that in 2017, the airplane had been used for an around-the-world flight by the pilot. In addition to other modifications, a Turtle-PAC ferry tank had been installed prior to that flight. A review of maintenance records provided by the pilot did not reveal any logbook entries or associated paperwork for the ferry tank installation or removal, except for a copy of the one-page Piper PA-46-310P fuel system schematic from the maintenance manual, with a handwritten annotation ("Tank") and hand-drawn lines added in blue ink. A review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records also did not reveal any record of an FAA Form 337 (Major Repair or Alteration) or a supplemental type certificate for the ferry tank installation or fuel system modification.