History of the Flight
On 4 July 2020, a Piper PA-28-181 Archer II, registered N5352F, departed Saint-Barthélemy airport at approximately 13:10 local time on a ferry flight to Pointe-à-Pitre - Le Raizet airport on the island of Guadeloupe. The pilot and a passenger were on board. After leveling at 3,500 ft, the pilot climbed to 5,500 ft for about 15 minutes, then descended back to 3,500 ft due to cloud cover. Engine speed was around 2,400 rpm and indicated airspeed about 100 kt.
At around 14:15, approximately 30 nautical miles from Pointe-à-Pitre, the pilot and passenger observed a reduction in engine speed without any unusual noise. This prevented maintaining altitude. The pilot slowed to about 75 kt, the best glide speed. The passenger, also a licensed pilot, performed the in-flight power loss procedures—switching fuel tanks, activating the electric pump, and toggling the magnetos—with no effect. The pilot reported an engine problem to the controller and stated he would attempt to reach the airport. The controller provided a heading and requested the initiation of a distress phase.
At about 1,000 ft, the passenger opened lifejackets, donned one, and equipped the pilot. He also prepared the liferaft. At approximately 600 ft, the pilot informed the controller of the impending ditching. At 14:20, the controller alerted rescue services. Around 200 ft, the crew shut down the engine and electrical power, and the passenger unlocked the door. The aircraft descended and ditched parallel to the swell without changing heading. The passenger opened the door immediately after touchdown, exited onto the wing, and deployed the liferaft, which inflated promptly. The pilot then evacuated. The aircraft sank within about ten minutes. The two occupants waited in the liferaft and were winched into a helicopter at around 15:00.
Pilot and Passenger Information
The pilot held a PPL(A) issued in 2002 and an American Foreign Based Private Pilot Certificate from 2014. He had approximately 2,250 flight hours as pilot-in-command, including 1,800 hours on the PA-28. He was president of a flying club in Guadeloupe. In the three months before the accident, he had flown four flights totaling 2 hours 15 minutes on the PA-28. In 2007, he completed a six-hour seaplane training course in Canada. The pilot stated he had flown as a passenger on N5352F for a ten-minute test flight on 25 June; the accident flight was his first as pilot-in-command on that aircraft.
On the morning of the accident, the pilot had flown another PA-28 to Saint-Eustache to meet the owner of N5352F at a maintenance facility to purchase it. After a visual inspection by a mechanic, the owner-vendor flew the aircraft with the pilot and passenger back to Saint-Barthélemy. After administrative formalities and a pre-flight check, the pilot departed for Guadeloupe with his passenger. The only issue noted was a problem with the pilot’s headset during takeoff. The pilot considered the effective collaboration with the passenger contributed to a successful ditching.
The passenger held an ATPL(A) since 2008 and was an airline flight instructor. He had logged about 11,000 flight hours, including 5,000 on light aircraft. He stated that flaps remained in clean configuration during ditching preparation, pitch trim was slightly nose-up, and the engine was shut down to minimize impact speed. The aircraft’s path parallel to the swell facilitated the ditching. He believed they would not have survived without the liferaft.
Aircraft Information
The Piper PA-28-181 Archer II (registration N5352F) was equipped with a Lycoming O-360-A4M engine producing 180 hp at 2,700 rpm. At the time of the accident, the airframe had 7,222 operating hours, and the engine had 2,423 hours since its last overhaul. The aircraft sank after ditching and was not recovered; no examination could be performed. The flight manual did not include a specific ditching procedure.
The aircraft was based at Saint-Barthélemy and maintained by an FAA-approved mechanic at Saint-Eustache. It was registered in the United States, requiring FAA approval for maintenance.
The previous owner stated the aircraft had flown about 15 hours in 2020, with no flights between 13 March and 18 June due to COVID-19. After 18 June, the previous owner flew four flights totaling about 1 hour 30 minutes. All aircraft and maintenance documents were in the aft hold and lost; only a few copies were provided by the mechanic.
Maintenance Operations
According to the mechanic, the last maintenance operations included:
- On the day of the accident: a visual inspection of engine and airframe, draining both fuel tanks, draining the oil and water trap filter, and checking main flight controls, at the new owner’s request.
- A 100-hour/yearly inspection on 6 June 2020, performed per Piper and Lycoming manuals and FAR Part 43. The work order noted 7,220 airframe hours and 2,421 engine hours since overhaul, and the engine was returned to service.
- A 100-hour/yearly inspection on 22 April 2019.
The mechanic also performed additional checks after 2,000 engine hours: leak rate measurements of each cylinder at 50-hour intervals, visual inspection of the oil filter interior at 50-hour intervals, and oil analysis upon owner request. He reported no anomalies.
An oil analysis from September 2012 showed aluminum and iron levels below Lycoming limits. No more recent analysis results were available; thus the engine’s internal condition could not be determined.
Engine TBO and Fuel Information
Lycoming’s recommended TBO for the O-360-A4M engine is 2,000 hours, as per Service Letter No 1009BE. Extensions of up to 200 hours are possible under certain conditions (e.g., frequent use, use of genuine parts). At the accident, the engine had 2,423 hours since overhaul, exceeding even the maximum extended TBO of 2,200 hours. The FAA stated that for non-commercial operations, TBOs are recommendations only. Without engine examination, it could not be determined if the TBO exceedance contributed to the failure.
The PA-28-181 Archer II has two wing tanks, each holding 25 US gallons, with 40 US gallons usable. Lycoming lists fuel consumption at 10.5 US gal/h at 75% power (2,450 rpm) and 9.5 US gal/h at 65% power (2,350 rpm). At 10.5 US gal/h, endurance is about 4 hours 30 minutes. The previous owner indicated the last full fuel refueling was on 18 June at Saint-Eustache airport.