Accident Summary
On June 4, 2025, at 13:41 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-23, N2109P, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Palm Bay, Florida. The commercial pilot was uninjured, and the sole passenger received minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Flight Details
According to the pilot, they departed in the morning from the Front Royal-Warren County Airport (FRR), Front Royal, Virginia, heading to Boca Raton, Florida. Prior to departure, both main fuel tanks were filled with a total of 72 gallons of fuel. The auxiliary fuel tanks were not used due to a known fuel leak. During the flight, a fuel stop was made at Orangeburg Municipal Airport (OGB) in Orangeburg, South Carolina, where 60.3 gallons of fuel were added to top off the main tanks. After departing OGB, the flight continued south. Near Savannah, Georgia, the pilot encountered weather and diverted west to go around it. Once past the weather, the pilot followed the coastline. Approaching the Daytona Beach area, another weather patch caused a diversion to the east. Shortly after, the pilot began an approach to the next fuel stop at Valkaria Airport (X59), Valkaria, Florida. While on approach, the airplane entered a "massive rain shower," causing the pilot to lose sight of the runway. The approach was aborted, and a climb toward the east was initiated to exit the weather. After reaching about 1,500 ft mean sea level (msl), the left engine began to sputter and lost power. The pilot applied carburetor heat and attempted restart, but power did not return. The right engine then began to sputter, and the pilot elected to perform a forced ditching into the Indian River near Palm Bay. During the ditching, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The pilot and passenger exited and swam to shore.
Post-Accident Examination
The wreckage was recovered from the river on the same day. The following day, an examination revealed the following: Both fuel selectors were in the "MAIN" position. The left main and auxiliary fuel tank caps were secure with no signs of leakage. The left main fuel tank was drained at the fuel strainer bowl, yielding approximately 7 gallons of water and no fuel. The left auxiliary fuel tank contained about 4 gallons of fuel with the odor and color consistent with 100LL aviation gasoline; no water was found. The left fuel strainer bowl was severely corroded, missing the fuel screen, and contained large pieces of corroded debris. The right main fuel tank cap was secure and sealed properly. The right auxiliary fuel tank cap was installed but the filler neck was missing the metal ring insert, preventing a proper seal. A borescope inspection located the filler port insert near the right auxiliary tank pickup screen. The right main fuel tank drained approximately 1 gallon of water and 4 gallons of 100LL fuel at the strainer. The right auxiliary fuel tank was completely devoid of fluid. The wreckage was retained for further examination.