Piper PA-32R-301 accident near Kennebunkport, ME
On August 18, 2000, a Piper PA-32R-301 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Kennebunkport, ME. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 18, 2000
- Place
- Kennebunkport, ME
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-301 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 1 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 44.694°N, 69.382°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X21747
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 18, 2000, at 1530 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-301, N411JL, was substantially damaged during a forced landing and ditching in the Atlantic Ocean near Kennebunkport, Maine. The certificated airline transport pilot/owner and one passenger received minor injuries. A second passenger was seriously injured, and two additional passengers were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that originated at Pease International Tradeport (PSM), Portsmouth, New Hampshire, approximately 1500. An IFR flight plan was filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 and destined for Liverpool, Nova Scotia. In a telephone interview, the pilot/owner said the purpose of the flight was to go to Canada for a weekend of boating. He said the takeoff and climb to altitude were uneventful, and that the airplane was in cruise flight at 9,000 feet with the autopilot engaged, when he heard a loud report from the engine compartment. He also stated: "We were at 9,000 feet and I heard a muffled 'bang', and then the windshield was covered with oil. I pushed 'Nearest Airport' on the GPS and it indicated that Biddeford was 19.4 miles away on a heading of 340. I pulled the throttle back as soon as it blew, I assumed it was a connecting rod. This one didn't vibrate as much as I would have expected. I throttled back to reduce the vibration and I had about a 500 foot-per-minute rate of descent. At about 4 to 5 thousand feet it seized. I was talking to center the whole time and I told her I couldn't make the beach. I had three boats
Probable cause
Fracture of the #4 connecting rod for undetermined reasons, which resulted in a loss of engine power. A factor was the forced ocean ditching.
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Browse: Maine · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
