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FAA Investigators Recover Ditching Plane to Probe Engine Failure

8/24/2026

50 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Faith Tenkley Ditches

Pilot Faith Tenkley ditched her Piper PA30 in the Atlantic off Boca Raton.
She reported right-engine failure and landing-gear malfunction, then chose water ditching because fuel remained.
Lifeguards rescued her within a minute and transported her to hospital as a precaution.
The FAA leads the investigation as police, Coast Guard and Marine Unit secure the site for aircraft retrieval.

Summary

FAA Moves Wreckage

FAA investigators lifted the Piper PA-30 wreckage and moved it to Silver Palm Boat Ramp for analysis.
The aircraft, built 1961-1972, is registered to USOARFlorida LLC of Fort Myers.
Technicians are disassembling the plane at 600 East Palmetto Park Road to determine the right-engine failure cause.
Witnesses Craig Sutton and Maria Marks provided video and photos that aid the investigation.

History

Historical Context

On January 15 2009, Captain Chesley Sullenberger and First Officer Jeff Skiles ditched US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River after a bird strike disabled both engines, and all 155 aboard survived. The NTSB’s investigation cemented the ditching as a safety benchmark, prompting stricter safety protocols that now frame the rescue of Faith Tenkley’s Piper PA-30 off Boca Raton.

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Faith Tenkley Ditches

Pilot Faith Tenkley ditched her Piper PA30 in the Atlantic off Boca Raton.
She reported right-engine failure and landing-gear malfunction, then chose water ditching because fuel remained.
Lifeguards rescued her within a minute and transported her to hospital as a precaution.
The FAA leads the investigation as police, Coast Guard and Marine Unit secure the site for aircraft retrieval.

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