What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 09/08/2026, at approximately 12:30 p.m. CST, a student pilot departed mid valley airport (txw) for a local solo practice flight to south Texas international airport (ebg), with a planned return to txw.
Approximately 60 minutes into the planned training, during the final approach to runway 14 at txw, the student pilot transmitted an inbound radio call at an altitude of approximately 2,000 feet MSL. Immediately following the call, the student pilot felt the engine sputter and experience a total loss of power due to suspected fuel exhaustion. Perceiving that the aircraft was descending toward a residential area, the pilot maneuvered toward an open, tilled crop field to execute a forced off-airport landing.
During the landing roll, the aircraft’s nose gear struck the uneven terrain, causing the aircraft to flip over and come to rest inverted approximately 5 miles northwest of txw, near the intersection of mile 13 ½ road north and north mile 6 road.
On-scene emergency response was conducted in coordination with the FAA and NTSB. Response personnel, along with local Weslaco fire department firefighters and dps troopers, righted the aircraft onto its landing gear under federal agency guidance. A post-accident inspection of both wing fuel tanks revealed no observable fuel in either tank and no evidence of residual fuel on the ground at the wreckage site.
Findings & status: the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The solo student pilot reported no injuries.
As the FAA filed it
ON 09/08/2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 12:30 P.M. CST, A STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED MID VALLEY AIRPORT (TXW) FOR A LOCAL SOLO PRACTICE FLIGHT TO SOUTH TEXAS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (EBG), WITH A PLANNED RETURN TO TXW.
APPROXIMATELY 60 MINUTES INTO THE PLANNED TRAINING, DURING THE FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 14 AT TXW, THE STUDENT PILOT TRANSMITTED AN INBOUND RADIO CALL AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 2,000 FEET MSL. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE CALL, THE STUDENT PILOT FELT THE ENGINE SPUTTER AND EXPERIENCE A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER DUE TO SUSPECTED FUEL EXHAUSTION. PERCEIVING THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESCENDING TOWARD A RESIDENTIAL AREA, THE PILOT MANEUVERED TOWARD AN OPEN, TILLED CROP FIELD TO EXECUTE A FORCED OFF-AIRPORT LANDING.
DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT’S NOSE GEAR STRUCK THE UNEVEN TERRAIN, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP OVER AND COME TO REST INVERTED APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF TXW, NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF MILE 13 ½ ROAD NORTH AND NORTH MILE 6 ROAD.
ON-SCENE EMERGENCY RESPONSE WAS CONDUCTED IN COORDINATION WITH THE FAA AND NTSB. RESPONSE PERSONNEL, ALONG WITH LOCAL WESLACO FIRE DEPARTMENT FIREFIGHTERS AND DPS TROOPERS, RIGHTED THE AIRCRAFT ONTO ITS LANDING GEAR UNDER FEDERAL AGENCY GUIDANCE. A POST-ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF BOTH WING FUEL TANKS REVEALED NO OBSERVABLE FUEL IN EITHER TANK AND NO EVIDENCE OF RESIDUAL FUEL ON THE GROUND AT THE WRECKAGE SITE.
FINDINGS & STATUS: THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE SOLO STUDENT PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.