Piper PA-28D-180 N6595J

Summary

On 6 September 2019 at about 16:45 local time, a Piper PA-28D-180 registered N6595J was involved in an accident near Midlothian, Texas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 September 2019 at 16:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Midlothian, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Mid-Way Regional (JWY)

Coordinates

32.4639, -96.9208

Aircraft

Piper PA-28D-180

Registration

N6595J

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Midlothian/Waxa → Midlothian/Waxa

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN19LA304

Nobody was injured.

Misalignment of the fuel selector valve when the right fuel tank was selected, which restricted fuel flow and resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot was departing on a local solo flight. Shortly after takeoff, the engine lost power, and the pilot turned toward the closest available field and set up for landing. As she flared for landing, the engine momentarily regained power. The airplane climbed 100 ft, which allowed the pilot to turn left, clear a tree line, and continue toward the runway. The engine lost power again, and the pilot glided the airplane toward the airport, touching down in dirt and grass short of the runway. The nose landing gear separated, and the airplane slid across the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. Postaccident examination revealed that both fuel tanks were full, and the throttle and mixture controls were still attached. Fuel drained from the carburetor bowl and gascolator was light blue and contained no debris or water. The electric boost pump operated normally. The fuel supply line to the engine was removed and fuel flowed normally when the left tank was selected. When the right tank was selected, only a small amount of fuel would flow. The right tank was the tank the pilot had selected for takeoff. The fuel selector valve was difficult to move. When it was moved, it traveled past the right tank detent, closing the valve to the right tank, and resulting in a loss of fuel flow. Although the selector handle indicated the right tank had been selected, the valve was misaligned, thus starving the engine of fuel and resulting in the loss of power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.