Piper PA-28-180 N6571J

Summary

On 15 May 2024 at about 19:50 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N6571J, operated by Lord Aviation, was involved in an accident near Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 May 2024 at 19:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States

Nearest airport

Memorial Field Airport (HOT)

Coordinates

34.4780, -93.0962

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N6571J

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

Lord Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN24LA189

1 person was seriously injured.

The student pilot’s selection of an improper fuel tank selector position, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the instructor’s inadequate oversight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The instructional flight was returning to the departure airport for landing when the student pilot changed the fuel tank selector position in preparation for landing. While flying the approach, the flight instructor told the student pilot to add engine power; however, the engine exhibited a total loss of engine power. The flight instructor took over the flight controls, and the airplane impacted a vacant area in a residential neighborhood. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and postcrash fire. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel selector valve did not intersect the valve body port positions. With the fuel selector valve between port positions, fuel cannot flow downstream to the engine. There were no other preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.