Piper PA-28RT-201T accident near Hernando Beach, Florida, August 22, 2012
On August 22, 2012 at about 3:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-28RT-201T, registered N2970G, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Hernando Beach, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power due to a blockage of the No. 6 cylinder fuel injector nozzle.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 2012 · about 3:40 pm local time
- Place
- Hernando Beach, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28RT-201T · all PA-28RT-201Ts on the register
- Registration
- N2970G · no longer on the register · serial 28R-7931283
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While en route over the Gulf of Mexico, the pilot reported that the engine began to run rough and experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot declared an emergency, searched for a place to land, and performed a gear-up landing in the water. The pilot egressed and was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard. A postaccident engine examination revealed that the No.6 cylinder fuel injection nozzle was blocked with debris. After the fuel nozzle was cleaned and reinstalled, an engine run was performed. The engine started and ran smoothly, accelerated to maximum power without hesitation, and was shut down with no anomalies noted. It is likely that a small particle of debris in the fuel became lodged in the No. 6 fuel injection nozzle, which resulted in the loss of engine power.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Ditching during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel injector nozzle › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,660 hours in all; 3,085 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 4,433 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 21, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,507 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 16, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Turbo Arrow Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: DKX Knoxville TN at 11:55 am
- Destination: PIE St. Petersburg FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from BKV, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.