# NTSB ERA26LA091: Piper PA-28-180, N6516J, Port St. Lucie, FL, January 11, 2026

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report
- Date: January 10, 2026, 19:25 local (Jan 11, 2026, 00:25 UTC)
- Place: Port St. Lucie, FL · Accurate location
- Coordinates: 27.265479, -80.681399
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.2655&lon=-80.6814&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 2 serious
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties: Lycoming, Piper, FAA FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 202282
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA26LA091
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/202282/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA091

## Preliminary report

On January 10, 2026, about 1925 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-180, N6516J was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Port St. Lucie, Florida. The pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, prior to takeoff from Okeechobee County Airport (OBE), Okeechobee, Florida, he “topped off” the fuel tanks with about 40 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel. As the pilot was preparing to start the airplane’s engine, he turned on the master switch, observed that the cockpit and cabin lights were dim, and could not start the engine. The pilot requested a “jump start,” which started the engine and he subsequently taxied to the runway and took off, but during the initial climb, the engine was not producing adequate power to maintain a good climb rate. The airplane climbed past 2,000 ft mean sea level, and the pilot began to troubleshoot the “problem,” but shortly after, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine several times using the loss of engine power checklists, but was unsuccessful. The pilot conducted a descending 180° right turn toward OBE but was too far (10 nautical miles) to reach the airport, and he attempted a forced landing to a field. The airplane impacted trees during the approach, both wings separated and the fuselage impacted terrain in a nose down inverted attitude about 100 ft from the initial tree impact. After the accident, the pilot stated that he recently purchased the airplane which had been ferried from California to Florida. The airplane’s magnetos had been recently overhauled, and a new wiring harness was installed prior to the purchase. The airplane’s most recent annual inspection was performed on December 9, 2025, which was about 5 years after the previous annual inspection. The ferry pilot who transported the airplane to the pilot informed him that the alternator was experiencing intermittent drops during the four-day ferry ?ight, and that each flight leg was about 8 hours per day. No other issues were noted by the ferry pilot. The airplane was recovered and retained for further examination.

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-180, 37 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=7102808), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N6516J](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6516J), registered now, S/N 28-4953, built 1968 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-180
- Registry model: [Piper PA-28-180](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180) (registry code 7102808) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 28-4953
- Year built: 1968
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Teresurv Corp
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, December 9, 2025
- Airport: OBE, Okeechobee County

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night
- Wind: 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 66 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observed at: OBE, 10 nm away
- METAR: METAR KOBE 110035Z AUTO 12004KT 10SM CLR 19/18 A3012 RMK AO2

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20260111000689A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260111000689A), Jan 11, 2026: Piper PA-28-180, Okechobbee, FL, Destroyed. On 01/11/2026, at approximately 19:25 EST, a Piper PA-28-180, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Okeechobee, FL. The airplane was operated…

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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