What happened
On October 4, 2020, at approximately 1:25 PM, a Piper 32-300 aircraft, registered as N62DJ, was conducting a private flight from Palm Beach International Airport in Florida toward Leonard M. Thompson International Airport in Abaco, Bahamas. During the flight, the pilot identified a malfunction within the aircraft's engine. To ensure the safety of the flight, the pilot elected to divert the aircraft to Grand Bahama International Airport in Freeport. The aircraft landed at the diversion airport without further complications.
The investigation
The investigation into the occurrence focused on the mechanical performance of the power plant during the enroute phase of the flight. The inquiry established that the aircraft was operated by Zig Zag Inc. and was carrying one pilot and one passenger at the time of the engine issue. The investigation confirmed that the pilot's decision to divert was a precautionary response to the observed engine malfunction.
Findings
- The primary cause of the diversion was a system component failure involving the aircraft's power plant.
- The pilot successfully managed the emergency by identifying the malfunction and executing a diversion to a suitable landing site.
- There were no injuries to the crew or the passenger, and no damage was reported to the aircraft following the landing.