What happened
On June 4, 2025, a Piper PA-2lag aircraft, registration N2109P, was involved in an accident near Palm Bay, Florida. The flight originated from Front Royal-Warren County Airport (FRR) in Virginia, with a destination of Boca Raton, Florida. During the flight, the pilot performed a fuel stop at Orangeburg Municipal Airport (OGB) in South Carolina.
While approaching Valkaria Airport (X59) for another fuel stop, the pilot encountered a massive rain shower that resulted in the loss of runway visibility. The pilot aborted the approach and climbed to approximately 1,500 feet mean sea level to exit the weather. During this climb, the left engine began to sputter and lost power. Despite the application of carburetor heat and attempts to restart, power was not restored. Shortly thereafter, the right engine also began to sputter, prompting the pilot to perform a forced ditching into the Indian River.
The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage during the ditching. The pilot was not injured, though the passenger sustained minor injuries. Both occupants were able to exit the aircraft and swim to shore.
The investigation
An examination of the wreckage revealed that both fuel selectors were set to the "MAIN" tank position. Investigators found the following regarding the fuel systems:
- Left fuel system: The left main and auxiliary fuel tank caps were secure, and no external leaks were observed. The left main tank contained no fuel, but approximately 7 gallons of water were drained from the left fuel strainer bowl. The left auxiliary tank contained approximately 4 gallons of 100LL fuel with no water present. The left fuel strainer bowl cap was severely corroded, and the strainer was missing its fuel screen, containing several large pieces of corroded debris.
- Right fuel system: The right main fuel tank cap was properly sealed. The right main tank contained approximately 4 gallons of 100LL fuel and 1 gallon of water. The right auxiliary tank was empty. While the right auxiliary tank cap was installed, the filler neck was missing its metal ring insert and could not seal properly. A borescope inspection revealed that the missing filler port insert was located near the right auxiliary tank pickup screen.