Piper PA-28-151 N890MA accident near Fire Island, New York

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

NTSB analysis

During an instructional flight, after completing several maneuvers at 1,100 ft mean sea level (msl), the flight instructor told the student pilot to switch fuel tanks and climb to 2,000 ft msl. During the climb, the engine lost partial power. Shortly after, the flight instructor assumed control, and the engine lost all power.

After unsuccessful attempts to regain engine power, which included use of the carburetor heat, the flight instructor executed a forced landing on a beach. During the landing, the instructor applied left aileron input in an attempt to avoid people on the beach, which resulted in the left wing impacting the ground, and the airplane came to rest upright on the beach. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and engine mount.

Postaccident examination of the airplane, which included a successful test run of the engine, revealed no anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Weather conditions near the accident site were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power; however, the reported loss of engine power occurred during a climb at higher power settings, where the probability of carburetor ice formation is reduced. Although carburetor ice could have developed earlier during lower power operations and become apparent during the climb, the available evidence was insufficient to determine whether carburetor ice accumulation contributed to the loss of engine power.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA24LA277 for the full record.