Accident to the Piper PA32 registered F-OJSN on 28/11/2018 at Les Saintes Islands

The pilot made a flight with two passengers from Dominica to Pointe‑à‑Pitre. Immediately after passing the Les Saintes archipelago, the pilot felt vibrations that he associated with the rear door being incorrectly locked, and decided to divert to Les Saintes aerodrome.
On final over the Baie des Saintes, the pilot heard a noise similar to an explosion and noticed the drop in oil pressure. Given what he saw on the engine along with the risks associated with the specific usage conditions at Les Saintes aerodrome (obstacles, aerological conditions, village and dwellings close to the runway threshold) in the event of total engine failure, the pilot decided to abort the landing at the aerodrome and made an emergency water landing in the bay, in flaps-
retracted configuration.
The vibrations, the loss of oil and the engine shutdown were caused by the failure of a rod of one of the engine’s cylinders.
The investigation was unable to determine the cause of the rod failure.