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20251020014809I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-151 · Corpus Christi, TX · October 20, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 20, 2025 · 10:24 local
Place
Corpus Christi, TX
Airport
Corpus Christi International
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N32223
Reported as
Piper PA-28-151
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours
268 total1 in this make and model18 in the last 90 days
N32223Registered now · Piper PA-28-151S/N 28-7515101Airframe modelPiper PA-28-151Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On 10/20/2025, the pilot was asked by a mechanic at the part 61 flight school that the pilot works for to fly a newly leased aircraft around to assess the aircraft prior to putting the aircraft into service for the flight school. The pilot agreed and the mechanic flew along to monitor for any mechanical issues. No issues or abnormal indications prior to take off. Takeoff and climb were fine. The pilot then performed a circle pattern around the airport and then performed a touch and go. No issues. The pilot then changed the fuel selector from right tank to left tank and began another circle and touch and go. Upon short approach with less than 200 feet altitude, the engine shutdown. The aircraft dropped faster than anticipated and the pilot made the command decision to call tower and make a soft field landing in the grass to the right of the runway to avoid the runway lights. The pilot safely landed the aircraft. No damage or injuries. Upon landing, the pilot assessed the aircraft and realized that he had not fully put the fuel selector switch from right tank to left tank which caused the engine to starve of fuel and shutdown. Pilot error.

As the FAA filed it

ON 10/20/2025, THE PILOT WAS ASKED BY A MECHANIC AT THE PART 61 FLIGHT SCHOOL THAT THE PILOT WORKS FOR TO FLY A NEWLY LEASED AIRCRAFT AROUND TO ASSESS THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO PUTTING THE AIRCRAFT INTO SERVICE FOR THE FLIGHT SCHOOL. THE PILOT AGREED AND THE MECHANIC FLEW ALONG TO MONITOR FOR ANY MECHANICAL ISSUES. NO ISSUES OR ABNORMAL INDICATIONS PRIOR TO TAKE OFF. TAKEOFF AND CLIMB WERE FINE. THE PILOT THEN PERFORMED A CIRCLE PATTERN AROUND THE AIRPORT AND THEN PERFORMED A TOUCH AND GO. NO ISSUES. THE PILOT THEN CHANGED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM RIGHT TANK TO LEFT TANK AND BEGAN ANOTHER CIRCLE AND TOUCH AND GO. UPON SHORT APPROACH WITH LESS THAN 200 FEET ALTITUDE, THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN. THE AIRCRAFT DROPPED FASTER THAN ANTICIPATED AND THE PILOT MADE THE COMMAND DECISION TO CALL TOWER AND MAKE A SOFT FIELD LANDING IN THE GRASS TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY TO AVOID THE RUNWAY LIGHTS. THE PILOT SAFELY LANDED THE AIRCRAFT. NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES. UPON LANDING, THE PILOT ASSESSED THE AIRCRAFT AND REALIZED THAT HE HAD NOT FULLY PUT THE FUEL SELECTOR SWITCH FROM RIGHT TANK TO LEFT TANK WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO STARVE OF FUEL AND SHUTDOWN. PILOT ERROR.