The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Accidents · NTSB GAA21WA263 · Preliminary: the investigation is not finished

Piper PA-30 accident near Saint-Honorat, Fr, August 12, 2021

On August 12, 2021 at about 9:42 am local time, a 1969 Piper PA-30, registered N8663Y, was destroyed in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Saint-Honorat. It was a personal flight under non-U.S. private rules. No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.

The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged

The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.

Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date
August 12, 2021 · about 9:42 am local time
Place
Saint-Honorat, France · map
Type
Accident
Injuries
No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
Weather
not recorded
Aircraft
Piper PA-30, built 1969 · all PA-30s on the register
Registration
N8663Y · no longer on the register · serial 30-1805
Damage
Destroyed
Flight
Personal flight · non-U.S. private rules

The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English

What happened, in order

  1. Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
  2. Ditching during enroute

The aircraft

  • Seats: 6
  • Landing gear: fixed

Weather at the time

  • Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Flight crew1

Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report

The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.