- Date
- May 16, 2019, 17:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Maitland, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6753WPiper PA28
- Defining event
- Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 3, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190516004409A
- Case key
- 99460
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, the total loss of engine power, and subsequent impact with a car during an emergency landing on a road.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during cruise flight, about 10 miles from the destination airport, the engine lost all power. He switched to the other fuel tank and successfully restarted the engine. About 6 miles from the airport, the engine lost power again. The pilot then decided to land the airplane on a highway, but just before touchdown, the airplane struck a car, spun, and then impacted the road. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that no fuel was found in either tank.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during cruise flight, about 10 miles from his destination airport, the engine had a total loss of power. He switched to the other fuel tank and successfully restarted the engine. About 6 miles out, the engine had another total loss of power. He then decided to land the airplane on a highway, but just before touchdown, the airplane struck a car, spun, and impacted the road. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that no fuel was found in both tanks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6753W
- Reported as
- Piper PA28 (140)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-20877
- Built
- 1965
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KAND · Anderson, SC
- Destination
- ORL · Orlando, FL
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 18, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,894 total · 651 in this make and model · 1,770 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KORL, 6 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 9, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 826 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.