Piper PA31-350 accident near St Thomas, May 3, 1997
On May 3, 1997 at about 5:26 pm local time, a Piper PA31-350, registered N4088G, was substantially damaged in an accident near St Thomas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to follow emergency procedures for loss of power in the right engine, by failing to shutdown the right engine and feather the right propeller. This resulted in the aircraft being unable to maintain altitude and a subsequent ditching in the sea. A related factor was the loss of right engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 3, 1997 · about 5:26 pm local time
- Place
- St Thomas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA31-350 · all PA31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N4088G · no longer on the register · serial 31-8152138
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The right engine began to surge, emit black smoke, and lose power shortly after takeoff. The pilot did not shutdown the engine or feather the propeller. The pilot stated that while turning to return to the airport, the aircraft almost stalled, and he lowered the nose and descended toward the sea. He was not able to maintain altitude, and the aircraft was ditched in the sea. Postcrash examination of the right engine showed no evidence to indicate the reason for the loss of power and black smoke emission.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,016 hours in all; 1,780 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,392 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 10, 1996; 93 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,380 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: STT at 5:25 pm
- Destination: TAPA St Johns OF
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:30 pm from STT, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.