History of the Flight
G-WINS, a Piper PA-32-300, departed Jersey on 3 November 2022 for an instrument training flight with two pilots aboard. The pilot-in-command held an Airline Transport Pilot Licence with 6,973 total hours, including 1,073 on type. Pre-flight checks revealed no anomalies, and a visual assessment indicated approximately 64 USG of fuel, estimated to provide 3.5–4 hours of endurance for a planned 1-hour-15-minute flight.
ATC cleared the aircraft to operate in a training area south and southeast of Jersey between 2,000 and 5,000 ft. During the final part of an instrument scanning exercise, the aircraft descended from 4,000 ft to 2,000 ft for an RNP approach to Runway 26 at Jersey. The descent was conducted with power slightly above idle at 120 kt and 700 ft/min rate of descent. After levelling at 2,000 ft with 23" manifold pressure and 2,300 rpm, approximately 30 seconds later the engine lost power, manifold pressure dropping below 10". The engine sound was abnormal but not rough.
Ditching
The pilots attempted to rectify the problem by switching on the electric fuel pump, selecting alternative fuel tanks, selecting alternate air, and cycling the magneto switches, all with no effect. The pilot-in-command took control, descending at 75 kt. Adjusting mixture and rpm had no effect; bringing the power lever back towards idle yielded a slight power increase (manifold pressure to 13"), but advancing the lever reduced power again. Unable to maintain altitude, ditching became inevitable.
As the aircraft descended, ATC was informed of the engine problem and a PAN was declared. ATC acknowledged and alerted emergency services. The pilots pre-positioned a life raft and grab bag (containing a personal locator beacon) on the rear seats; both wore life jackets and three-point harnesses. The pilot flying turned into wind, selected two stages of flap, and transmitted that they were ditching. The stall warner was sounding upon touchdown. The aircraft remained upright, cockpit watertight, and the pilots switched off electrical power. They exited onto the starboard wing, inflated life jackets, deployed the life raft, and entered it as the aircraft began to sink. They activated the PLB. The aircraft appeared intact; one wheel spat may have been seen. The pilot estimated the aircraft submerged about three minutes after ditching.
Rescue and Investigation
The pilots were rescued by the Jersey Lifeboat approximately one hour after ditching. Both were uninjured. The aircraft was not recovered, and no onboard recordings existed. Records showed this was the second flight after refuelling with 176 litres on 15 October 2022; the first flight was one hour, and the accident flight had been airborne about 30 minutes. The possibility of contaminated fuel was considered unlikely. The cause of the power loss was not established.