Piper PA-25-235 N7313Z

Summary

On 23 July 2012 at about 19:02 local time, a Piper PA-25-235 registered N7313Z, operated by Simmons Aviation Services, was involved in an accident near Westerly, Rhode Island, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 July 2012 at 19:02

Classification

Accident

Location

Westerly, Rhode Island, United States

Coordinates

41.2842, -71.6672

Aircraft

Piper PA-25-235

Registration

N7313Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Simmons Aviation Services

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Banner Tow

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Westerly → Westerly

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12LA474

1 person had minor injuries.

A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined due to the postaccident salt water-damaged state of the engine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

About 12 minutes into a local banner towing flight, while flying 650 feet above the ocean, the airplane’s engine began running roughly. The pilot responded by increasing the throttle to full, richening the mixture, and applying carburetor heat, all to no avail. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost power completely, so the pilot performed a forced landing to the ocean and was later rescued by civilian boaters. The airplane was recovered from the ocean more than 1 week after the accident. The pilot/operator was able to perform a cursory inspection of the engine at the time, but no definitive cause for the loss of power was identified. Due to the salt water-damaged state of the engine, no further detailed examination could be completed. At the time of the accident, the engine had accumulated nearly 2,300 hours since its most recent overhaul and 150 hours since its most recent annual inspection. Weather conditions at an airport 6 miles from the accident location were conducive to the formation of serious carburetor ice at glide power settings.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.