Piper PA-24-260 accident near Merritt Island, Florida, March 7, 2005
On March 7, 2005 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-260, registered N9446P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Merritt Island, Florida (Merritt Island Airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The owner/pilot/mechanics inadequate installation of a fuel line resulting in a fuel leak, partial loss of engine power, and force landing in swampy terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 2005 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Merritt Island, Florida · Merritt Island Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-260 · all PA-24-260s on the register
- Registration
- N9446P · registry record · serial 24-4954
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The owner/pilot mechanic stated that during a maintenance test flight for a newly overhauled engine, he slowly started losing engine power at approximately 300 feet of altitude during the initial takeoff climb. He elected to turn left to return to the airport and not having enough altitude impacted with the swampy terrain, on the west side of lagoon. During the return to airport maneuver, he switched the fuel selector from the left tank to right tank and then back to left tank with no correction to the partial loss of power. He noted the fuel flow indicator want from 28 to 17. The owner/pilot mechanic performed two ground run up checks to the engine to about 2,200 rpms. He did not note any discrepancies during those checks. After the recovery of the accident airplane an engine examination was conducted by the owner/pilot mechanic and a representative of the New Piper Aircraft, Inc. with FAA oversight. During the fuel flow test, the electrical fuel pump was energized; the fuel out line at the fuel servo supplying fuel to the flow divider was observed spraying fuel and the B-nut was found loose. The fuel flow test was stopped. The line's B-nut was tightened and the test resumed. A test of the fuel mixture flow noted a rich mixture flow of approximately 7 gallons an hour while a mixture lean noted a flow of approximately 4 gallons an hour. A review of the accident airplane's maintenance log book document the engine installation work was completed per Lycoming O/H # 60294-7 (Textron Lycoming, Part number 60294-7, Overhaul Manual for Direct Drive Engine). Textron Lycoming, Service Instruction No. 1427B, outlines for the overhauled engine to have a ground run check up to full-static recommended power for a period of no more then 10 seconds. The full-static power for the accident airplane as per the airplane's flight manual is 2,700 rpm, with turbocharger control off. After operating the engine at full power, allow for cooling, check idle mixture and shutdown. The Piper PA-24-260, Comanche, Service Manual, 7A-33, details the procedures for engine installation; including cautions and warning pertaining to fluid leaks on the airframe components.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,800 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 18,800 as pilot in command; 600 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,845 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2004; 85 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: COI Titusville FL at 5:08 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from MLB, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA05LA071.