Piper PA-28D-180 accident near Midlothian, Texas, September 6, 2019
On September 6, 2019 at about 4:45 pm local time, a 1968 Piper PA-28D-180, registered N6595J, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Midlothian, Texas (Mid-Way Regional airport). It was an instructional 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
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 2019 · about 4:45 pm local time · cases in 2019
- Place
- Midlothian, Texas · Mid-Way Regional · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28D-180, built 1968 · all PA-28D-180s on the register
- Registration
- N6595J · no longer on the register · serial 28-4899
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during emergency descent
- Fuel starvation during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel selector/shutoff valve › Damaged/degraded other cases naming the fuel system
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management other cases naming the fuel system
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 99 hours in all; 53 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 14 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,204 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 12, 2019; 56 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 4,204 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JWY Midlothian/Waxa TX at 5:00 pm
- Destination: JWY Midlothian/Waxa TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 6,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from JWY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 6 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – N6595J, a Piper PA-28D-180, at the accident site. (FAA photo).
Photo 2 - The cockpit. Note the fuel selector (red handle, bottom left) is positioned on the right fuel tank. (FAA photo).
Photo 3 – The engine was unremarkable. (FAA photo).
Photo 4 - Damage to the cowling after the nose gear separated. (FAA photo).
Photo 5 – Right wing damage. (FAA photo).
Photo 6 – Left wing damage. (FAA photo).The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on October 29, 2019. 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 | NTSB Form 6120.1-2, Pilot-operator Aircraft Accident Report | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of E-mail Exchanges | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation, NTSB Investigator Craif Hatch | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Report Photos | PDF, 6 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N6595J: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Piper PA-28 Cherokee, Warrior, Archer and Arrow 18,623 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,842 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A 65 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Mid-Way Regional · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,064 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,966 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN19LA304.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.