Total Power Loss Over Tampa Bay
Engine failure on departure from a water-surrounded airport — the off-field choice is immediate and unforgiving
The scenario
Departing Albert Whitted Airport (KSPG), St. Petersburg, FL — Runway 07, climbing out on a 062° heading. Elevation 7 ft MSL. It is a clear, calm morning: OAT 22°C, altimeter 29.98, light winds from the north. Visibility 10 SM. The water of Tampa Bay fills the windscreen ahead and to the left.
You are 400 ft AGL, climbing at 90 KIAS (Vy, gear up, prop in cruise), heading 062°, when the engine abruptly loses all power. The propeller is still turning (windmilling), but there is no thrust. The tachometer is unwinding. You have roughly 30 seconds of useful decision time before altitude becomes critical.
Aircraft: Piper Arrow PA-28R, solo, full fuel, within limits. Lycoming IO-360 fuel-injected, constant-speed prop, retractable gear (currently up), mixed panel. The airplane was airworthy at departure — the preflight was standard, the engine started and ran smoothly, and there were no anomalies during the takeoff roll or initial climb.
Pilot: you — a Private pilot, current, roughly 250 hours total. You are familiar with the Arrow's systems: fuel selector LEFT / RIGHT, prop control, gear extension, and the workload of a complex airplane. You are not familiar with KSPG; this is your first departure from this field.
The off-field environment is critical: Off Runway 07's departure end (heading 062°), the ground is mostly open water — Tampa Bay. There is no alternate landing surface ahead. Off Runway 25's departure end (heading 242°), the ground is dense development — buildings, roads, power lines. Off Runway 18 and 36, the ground is also water or mixed development. This is a water-surrounded airport. An engine failure on departure is a forced landing, and the choice of landing site is immediate and unforgiving.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KSPG · Albert Whitted'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '7/25 · 18/36'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '7 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'PA-28R'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Landing / Takeoff'}
The decision
Before we get into the decision tree — what do you already know about engine failure in the Piper Arrow? (Pick all that apply; this records your baseline.)
What the record shows
What the NTSB files show
NTSB WPR12FA058 (2011): A Piper PA-28R-200 on a personal flight from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station experienced total loss of engine power during cruise. The pilot attempted a forced landing near Coupeville, Washington, but impacted terrain below a ridge line. The probable cause was a total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal evidence of preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures. The pilot's failure to choose a suitable landing area was a contributing factor.
NTSB ERA10FA074 (2009): A Piper PA-28R-200 experienced an oil problem and total engine loss during climb after takeoff. The pilot made a forced landing in trees near Wappinger, New York. The accident was attributed to total loss of engine power due to delamination of the No. 3 connecting rod bearing, with inadequate maintenance inspection of the engine oil system as a contributing factor. The lesson: engine oil system checks are not optional. A pre-takeoff oil temperature and pressure check can catch early signs of bearing distress.
NTSB NYC08FA053 (2007): A Piper PA-28R-200 on a business flight experienced progressive engine roughness and loss of power during initial climb after a touch-and-go landing. The accident resulted from fatigue fracture of the number 2 cylinder attach studs and subsequent cylinder separation, which caused total loss of engine power. The pilot did not recognize the early warning signs of roughness and did not return to the airport for a precautionary landing.
NTSB CEN25LA288 (2025): A Piper PA-28RT-201T experienced total engine failure during base-to-final turn while returning to the departure airport for a precautionary landing. The pilot executed a forced landing to a field, striking a fence. The cause of engine failure was undetermined pending further examination. The lesson: even a precautionary return can be interrupted by a total failure. Maintain best glide and pick the best available landing site.
NTSB ERA22LA067 (2021): A Piper PA-28R-200 on a personal flight experienced total loss of engine power during initial climb at 500 ft AGL, prompting the pilot to return and land on grass, striking the airport perimeter fence. The accident resulted from a total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined. The pilot made the right decision to return to the airport, but the execution was marginal — the fence strike suggests a tight approach.
The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports and in other aircraft — NOT at Albert Whitted Airport. KSPG has its own accident history (see field dominant patterns), but these specific events happened elsewhere. The scenario is localized to KSPG to make the off-field environment real and consequential for you as a student here.
The consistent thread across all these events: total engine failure in the Piper Arrow is rare but catastrophic. The causes range from mechanical failure (bearing delamination, cylinder separation, oil starvation) to undetermined mechanical issues. The common factor in survivable accidents is the pilot's ability to maintain control, establish best glide, and choose the best available landing site. At KSPG, the off-field environment is water-surrounded — the choice is immediate and unforgiving.
Key lesson — Total engine failure in the Piper Arrow is survivable if you maintain control and fly the airplane first. Establish 79 KIAS best glide immediately. At low altitude over water, the choice is between attempting to return to the airport (if altitude permits) or executing a controlled ditching. Do not attempt a climbing turn or try to stretch the glide — airspeed is life. Off Runway 07 at KSPG, the off-field environment is Tampa Bay: a dead engine means a ditching, not a field landing. Know your landing options before you depart.
Debrief — teaching points
Best glide speed is 79 KIAS — establish it immediately and maintain it.
In the Piper Arrow, best glide speed is 79 KIAS at gross weight. This speed maximizes glide distance and gives you the most time to assess the situation and choose a landing site. At 400 ft AGL with a dead engine, you have roughly 3 minutes of glide time at best glide. Establish it immediately by lowering the nose and trimming. Do not waste time trying to restart the engine or cycle controls — if the engine is completely dead (no RPM, no response), the only option is a forced landing. Fly the airplane first.
Total engine failure in the PA-28R is rare but can result from mechanical failure, oil starvation, or undetermined causes.
The NTSB accidents cited (WPR12FA058, ERA10FA074, NYC08FA053) show that total engine failure in the Piper Arrow can result from bearing delamination, cylinder separation, oil starvation, or causes that cannot be determined even after postaccident examination. A thorough preflight, including oil temperature and pressure checks, can catch early signs of engine distress. If you notice any engine roughness or unusual instrument readings during climb, consider a precautionary return to the airport — do not wait for a total failure.
At KSPG, the off-field environment is water-surrounded — know your landing options before you depart.
Off Runway 07's departure end (heading 062°), the ground is open water — Tampa Bay. Off Runway 25's departure end (heading 242°), the ground is dense development. Off Runways 18 and 36, the ground is also water or mixed development. An engine failure on departure from KSPG is a forced landing, and the choice of landing site is immediate and unforgiving. If you depart Runway 07 and lose the engine at low altitude, you are over water — a ditching is the likely outcome. If you depart Runway 25 and lose the engine, you have dense development ahead — a return to the airport is the better option if altitude permits.
Maintain airspeed at all costs — do not attempt a climbing turn at low altitude with a dead engine.
In a dead-stick glide at low altitude, airspeed is life. Do not attempt a climbing turn or try to stretch the glide by raising the nose. The stall speed in landing configuration (Vs0) is 55 KIAS. A stall at 300 ft AGL in a bank is not survivable. Maintain 79 KIAS best glide, even if it means accepting a ditching instead of attempting a marginal return to the airport. Airspeed first, landing-site decision second.
If you have altitude and are within glide range of the airport, return — but do not sacrifice airspeed to do so.
If you lose the engine at 400 ft AGL and the airport is 0.8 nm away, a return to the airport is feasible at 79 KIAS best glide. Fly a straight-in approach to the reciprocal runway (Runway 25 if you departed Runway 07). Advise the tower of the emergency. Lower the gear as the runway is made (Vle is 129 KIAS — you will be well below this on approach, so gear extension is safe). Add flaps as needed. Do not attempt a full pattern or a climbing turn — the shortest path to the runway is the correct path.
A gear-up landing is survivable and sometimes the right call in an emergency.
In a total-power emergency at low altitude, a gear-up landing can simplify the approach and avoid the distraction of gear extension. The Piper Arrow's gear-up landing is survivable — the airplane slides on the belly, there is damage to the fuselage and gear doors, but no structural failure. If workload is high and you are marginal on altitude, a gear-up landing is a defensible choice. Advise the tower and execute the approach.
A controlled ditching is survivable — do not try to stretch the glide to the runway if you are over water.
If you lose the engine over Tampa Bay and altitude is insufficient to return to the airport, a controlled ditching is the correct outcome. Maintain 79 KIAS best glide. Pick the smoothest water you can see. Unlatch the doors before water contact. Fuel selector OFF, mixture idle cutoff, master off just before impact. Flaps for slowest possible touchdown speed — impact energy rises with the square of speed, so the slowest possible speed matters most. Survival rates in controlled ditchings are significantly better than in uncontrolled ones. Ditching is not failure — it is airmanship.
Built from the real accident record
Scenario built from NTSB WPR12FA058 (2011 PA-28R total power loss, forced landing), ERA10FA074 (2009 PA-28R oil starvation / engine failure), WPR09FA015 (2008 PA-28R-201T power loss / unsuitable landing choice), NYC08FA053 (2007 PA-28R cylinder separation), CEN25LA288 (2025 PA-28RT engine failure on return), ERA22LA067 (2021 PA-28R power loss at 500 ft), CEN20LA016 (2019 PA-28R undetermined power loss), and CEN26FA049 (2025 PA-28R fuel starvation). Anonymized and localized to KSPG.
NTSB reports: WPR12FA058 · ERA10FA074 · WPR09FA015 · NYC08FA053 · CEN25LA288 · ERA22LA067 · CEN20LA016 · CEN26FA049
ACS tasks: PA.I.F — Weather Information · PA.I.G — Cross-Country Flight Planning · PA.IX.C — Emergency Approach and Landing · PA.I.H — Human Factors · PA.II.A — Preflight Inspection · PA.II.B — Engine Starting / Systems Preflight
Relevant FARs: §91.3 · §91.13 · §91.185
Step through the full decision tree, make the calls, and see where each choice leads — then debrief it with your CFI.
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