What happened
On the morning of 31st January 2022, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N1215H, departed Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, Bahamas, bound for Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport in Florida. The aircraft was operating as a private flight with one pilot on board.
Shortly after takeoff, while climbing through 2,500 feet AGL, the pilot noticed the engine began to sputter. In an attempt to rectify the issue, the pilot verified that the fuel selector was correctly positioned to the main tank and monitored the engine gauges, which showed no obvious malfunctions. Despite increasing the fuel mixture, the engine performance did not improve. The pilot notified Nassau air traffic control of the emergency and declared an intention to return to the airport.
During the attempt to return to the airfield, the aircraft went down in the water approximately 8.76 NM west of Lynden Pindling International Airport. Following the crash, the Royal Bahamas Defense Force and the Royal Bahamas Police Force deployed marine units for search and rescue operations. The pilot was located and transported to New Providence for medical care, sustaining one minor injury. The aircraft was lost in the ocean.
The investigation
Because the airframe and engine were not recovered from the sea, investigators could not perform a physical examination of the wreckage. Instead, the AAIA focused on a review of the aircraft's maintenance records. The analysis of the airframe, engine, and propeller logs confirmed that the aircraft had been maintained in an airworthy condition according to manufacturer specifications and regulatory requirements.
Weather conditions at the time of the accident were within visual meteorological conditions and were not considered a contributing factor to the crash.