History of Flight
The aircraft, a Piper PA-32RT-300T Turbo Cherokee Lance II registered G-LUNA, departed Lydd Airport with full fuel tanks. The pilot, the sole occupant, flew toward a ship. While cruising at 2,000 ft, approximately seven miles from Lydd, he switched on the fuel pump and moved the fuel selector from the left to the right tank. Ten to fifteen seconds later, manifold pressure dropped and engine rpm decayed.
Engine Failure and Ditching
The pilot immediately set the mixture to full rich and re-selected the left tank. The engine continued running at low power with misfiring. Activating the alternate air source did not restore power, and the engine stopped. The pilot declared a MAYDAY, set the transponder to 7700, and attempted unsuccessfully to restart the engine.
With the aircraft prepared for ditching—cabin door open, landing gear manual override selected, and full flap extended—the pilot stalled the aircraft onto a five-meter swell. The wind was approximately 210/9 kt, and the ditching heading was 240°. The aircraft touched down tail-first, bounced, and briefly submerged before floating. The pilot, uninjured, donned his lifejacket and exited onto the wing.
Rescue
The ship the pilot had been heading toward had seen the ditching and contacted another vessel to rescue the pilot. After about two minutes, the aircraft pitched nose-down and sank. The pilot was recovered by the second ship, transferred to a lifeboat, and then airlifted by helicopter to a hospital. He had been in the water for 20 minutes and was treated for mild hypothermia.
Pilot's Comments
The pilot speculated that debris in the fuel injectors, a faulty fuel selector, or contaminated fuel might have caused the engine failure. No other aircraft that refueled at Lydd reported similar problems. He stated his intention to wear a lifejacket during future overwater flights.