Piper PA28 accident near Jacksonville, Florida, August 3, 2019
On August 3, 2019 at about 2:15 pm local time, a 1975 Piper PA28, registered N951TS, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Jacksonville, Florida (Jacksonville Executive At Crai airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to select a fuel tank with adequate fuel, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 2019 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Jacksonville, Florida · Jacksonville Executive At Crai · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 235, built 1975 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N951TS · no longer on the register · serial 28-7610015
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After the pilot completed two touch-and-go landings, the airplane was climbing when the engine lost total power. He advanced the throttle full forward, but the engine did not respond. The pilot did not attempt to troubleshoot the loss of power and did not check the fuel selector valve position. The pilot flew the airplane under power lines and executed a forced landing in the marsh during which the airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage and ailerons. The pilot stated that before takeoff, the left and right main fuel tanks contained 15 and 13 gallons, respectively, and the wing tip fuel tanks contained minimal fuel. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel selector value was positioned to the left tip tank; the tank was not breached during the accident and contained about 10 ounces of fuel. Based on the evidence, it is likely that the pilot did not verify the fuel selector position and had the left tip tank selected, which did not contain enough usable fuel. Thus, the engine experienced a total loss of power due to fuel starvation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Fuel starvation during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 235 hours in all; 66 in this make and model; 20.7 in the last 90 days; 4.4 in the last 30 days; 92.1 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 20, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,048 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 4, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 4,048 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CRG Jacksonville FL at 2:04 pm
- Destination: CRG Jacksonville FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 4,008 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,200 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.