Marathon, FL, USA
N587FL
PIPER PA-28-140
On August 19, 2022, about 1600 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N587FL, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Marathon, Florida. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, after takeoff he felt the airplane was not climbing as expected. The airplane was below 500 ft msl (mean sea level) when he elected to return to the airport. He stated that the engine sounded like it was “running fine”, but the airplane was “just not climbing.” About 300 to 400 ft msl the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The airplane’s wings began to wobble, and the pilot felt it was beginning to stall. He pitched down and unable to reach the runway, he performed a forced landing to shallow water 1 mile north of the airport. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and vertical stabilizer. The airplane was retained for further examination.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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