Piper PA28 accident near Fairhope, Alabama, July 30, 2019
On July 30, 2019 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 1968 Piper PA28, registered N6754J, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Fairhope, Alabama. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the No. 3 exhaust valve and the subsequent loss of engine power due to engine operation with an excessively lean fuel mixture over a period of time.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 2019 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fairhope, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 140, built 1968 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N6754J · no longer on the register · serial 28-24477
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and student pilot had performed several touch-and-go landings; after the final landing, they departed for another airport. Shortly after takeoff, the engine started to vibrate severely and then lost power. The instructor performed a forced landing in a field, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane's left wing. Postaccident engine examination revealed a failed No. 3 cylinder exhaust valve and extensive erosion on the No. 4 cylinder exhaust valve. The engine had accumulated 2,600 hours since the last overhaul, which was 600 hours beyond the manufacturer's recommended time before overhaul. The flight instructor reported that the leaning technique used while the airplane was on the ground was to lean the mixture during taxi or engine idle. For the engine run-up, they would use a full rich mixture. He added that during flight maneuvers at or below 3,000 ft mean sea level, they would not lean the mixture. However, the exhaust valve erosion is consistent with the engine being operated with an excessively lean fuel mixture over an extended period.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Damaged/degraded
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,004 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 930 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CQF Fairhope AL
- Destination: 5R4 Foley AL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 8:30 pm from KCQF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on March 30, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | CFI Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Inspector's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.