What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 20 jul 2026, at approximately 14:00 CDT, a flight instructor and her student took off from runway 17 at Bulverde airport (1T8) in Bulverde, TX in a Piper PA-28-180, privacy data omitted, and suffered a loss of power. The plan was to continue working in the traffic pattern and then depart for some upper airwork in the area. The CFI reported that prior to the take off roll, while taxiing to the approach end of runway 17, the crew determined it was time to switch the fuel from the left tank to the right tank. Because of the Piper 180'S design, only the pilot's side has access to the fuel selector, so the student pilot switched tanks from the left tank to the right tank. The aircraft finished taxiing and was holding in position short of runway 17 awaiting its turn for departure. On the takeoff roll, there was no engine abnormality noted and the take off was not unusual. In fact, two complete traffic patterns had taken place prior to this take off. Then, at approximately 60'-100', the engine sputtered and caught back up again. It was at that time that the student pilot relinquished the flight controls and the CFI took control of the aircraft. The CFI pushed the mixture and throttle full in and the engine sputtered one more time and then died. At less than 100', the CFI did not have enough altitude to return to the runway, so the choice was to try and land in a clearing to the right side of the departure end of the runway or make for the cibolo creek just beyond the airport area. The CFI stated she was not able to make the field and so the only other choice was the creek bed. The CFI then stated that she tried to slow the plane down as much as possible so as to minimize the impact forces. The plane came to rest in the creek bed wedged between a stand of trees and the bank of the cibolo creek. By this time, other flight instructors and students, who were present at the airport and witnessed the accident, had reached the crash site and assisted in the extraction of the crew. One flight instructor stated that he was worried about a fuel spill and post-crash fire, so he elected to move the aircraft fuel selector from the position at the time of impact to the off position, or what he thought was the off position. The crew was extracted without further incident and was examined by medical authorities. Local law enforcement arrived and secured the accident scene. The FAA arrived later that afternoon and went to the crash site with the aircraft/flight school owner.
As the FAA filed it
ON 20 JUL 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 14:00 CDT, A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND HER STUDENT TOOK OFF FROM RUNWAY 17 AT BULVERDE AIRPORT (1T8) IN BULVERDE, TX IN A PIPER PA-28-180, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AND SUFFERED A LOSS OF POWER. THE PLAN WAS TO CONTINUE WORKING IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND THEN DEPART FOR SOME UPPER AIRWORK IN THE AREA. THE CFI REPORTED THAT PRIOR TO THE TAKE OFF ROLL, WHILE TAXIING TO THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 17, THE CREW DETERMINED IT WAS TIME TO SWITCH THE FUEL FROM THE LEFT TANK TO THE RIGHT TANK. BECAUSE OF THE PIPER 180'S DESIGN, ONLY THE PILOT'S SIDE HAS ACCESS TO THE FUEL SELECTOR, SO THE STUDENT PILOT SWITCHED TANKS FROM THE LEFT TANK TO THE RIGHT TANK. THE AIRCRAFT FINISHED TAXIING AND WAS HOLDING IN POSITION SHORT OF RUNWAY 17 AWAITING ITS TURN FOR DEPARTURE. ON THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THERE WAS NO ENGINE ABNORMALITY NOTED AND THE TAKE OFF WAS NOT UNUSUAL. IN FACT, TWO COMPLETE TRAFFIC PATTERNS HAD TAKEN PLACE PRIOR TO THIS TAKE OFF. THEN, AT APPROXIMATELY 60'-100', THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND CAUGHT BACK UP AGAIN. IT WAS AT THAT TIME THAT THE STUDENT PILOT RELINQUISHED THE FLIGHT CONTROLS AND THE CFI TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE CFI PUSHED THE MIXTURE AND THROTTLE FULL IN AND THE ENGINE SPUTTERED ONE MORE TIME AND THEN DIED. AT LESS THAN 100', THE CFI DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH ALTITUDE TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY, SO THE CHOICE WAS TO TRY AND LAND IN A CLEARING TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY OR MAKE FOR THE CIBOLO CREEK JUST BEYOND THE AIRPORT AREA. THE CFI STATED SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE THE FIELD AND SO THE ONLY OTHER CHOICE WAS THE CREEK BED. THE CFI THEN STATED THAT SHE TRIED TO SLOW THE PLANE DOWN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE SO AS TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT FORCES. THE PLANE CAME TO REST IN THE CREEK BED WEDGED BETWEEN A STAND OF TREES AND THE BANK OF THE CIBOLO CREEK. BY THIS TIME, OTHER FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS AND STUDENTS, WHO WERE PRESENT AT THE AIRPORT AND WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT, HAD REACHED THE CRASH SITE AND ASSISTED IN THE EXTRACTION OF THE CREW. ONE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT A FUEL SPILL AND POST-CRASH FIRE, SO HE ELECTED TO MOVE THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SELECTOR FROM THE POSITION AT THE TIME OF IMPACT TO THE OFF POSITION, OR WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS THE OFF POSITION. THE CREW WAS EXTRACTED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AND WAS EXAMINED BY MEDICAL AUTHORITIES. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ARRIVED AND SECURED THE ACCIDENT SCENE. THE FAA ARRIVED LATER THAT AFTERNOON AND WENT TO THE CRASH SITE WITH THE AIRCRAFT/FLIGHT SCHOOL OWNER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N454MD · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.