Piper PA-32-260 accident near Key West, FL
On August 9, 2001, a Piper PA-32-260 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Key West, FL. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 9, 2001
- Place
- Key West, FL
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 24.549°N, 81.779°W
- NTSB ID
- 20010815X01688
NTSB summary
On August 9, 2001, about 1215 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32-260, N5569J, registered to a private individual, dba Fly Key West, Inc., operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 local sightseeing flight, ditched in the Florida Straits, about 41 miles southwest of Key West, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The commercially-rated pilot received minor injures and was rescued by a Navy helicopter. The two passengers were not found, and the U. S. Coast Guard suspended their search. They are presumed to have drowned. The flight departed Key West International Airport at about 1145. According to the pilot, via telephone conversation with the NTSB, the two passengers appeared to be an older Hispanic couple who spoke little English. Shortly after leveling off at 5,500 feet agl, the male passenger pushed through the collapsible partition that separated the cabin from the cockpit, produced a small knife, turned the communications radio and transponder off, and demanded to be flown to Cuba. In an attempt to thwart the hijacking, the pilot pulled throttle and pushed pitch control to produce enough negative "g" to suspend the passenger on the cabin ceiling momentarily. This action gave him enough time to reverse course to Key West. A struggle ensued that caused the hijacker to fall against the instrument panel, bending the throttle rod, and when the pilot straightened the bend, the rod snapped. With the engine near idle and attempts at increasing throttle setting unsuccessful, the pilot's only alternative was to ditch. The pilot donned
Probable cause
The inadvertent disabling of the throttle in the idle position during a cockpit disturbance created when an armed hijacker forcibly attempted to cause the aircraft to fly to Cuba, resulting in a loss of controllability of power for sustainable flight and an emergency descent and ditching.
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Browse: Florida · 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.
