Piper PA28 accident near Boca Raton, Florida, September 11, 2019
On September 11, 2019 at about 2:32 pm local time, a 1979 Piper PA28, registered N2890T, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Boca Raton, Florida (Boca Raton airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence and the pilot’s decision to take off without fully troubleshooting the partial loss of engine power that occurred during the previous flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 11, 2019 · about 2:32 pm local time
- Place
- Boca Raton, Florida · Boca Raton · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 201T, built 1979 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N2890T · no longer on the register · serial 28-7921088
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Following a partial loss of engine power after takeoff, the pilot returned to the airport and performed a visual inspection and engine test run with a mechanic, which revealed no anomalies. The pilot then chose to perform another flight without identifying the cause of the loss of engine power and the mechanic agreed to accompany him. As the airplane climbed through 400 to 500 ft above ground level after takeoff, the engine ran rough, and the pilot started a turn back to the airport. The engine subsequently lost total power and the airplane impacted terrain and obstacles. The airplane was equipped with an engine monitor that captured exhaust gas temperatures (EGT), cylinder head temperatures (CHT), and turbine inlet temperature (TIT). TIT is the direct measurement of the temperature of combined exhaust from all cylinders immediately before it enters the turbocharger, but the measurement itself is not used in the normal operation of the turbocharger. The data showed a rapid drop in TIT about 45 seconds before changes in the CHT and EGT associated with both loss of power events on the day of the accident. The data also recorded three other sessions in which the TIT dropped similarly, but there were no associated changes to EGT or CHT values to indicate a loss of engine power on those occasions. No evidence was found to indicate a loss of engine power resulted directly from the changes in TIT or what caused those changes. Examination of the engine revealed a hole in the turbocharger’s automatic wastegate controller diaphragm, which would result in the wastegate failing toward the closed position. The closed wastegate would increase manifold pressure and decrease the efficiency of the turbocharger at higher altitudes; however, a closed wastegate would not result in a total loss of engine power. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined based on available evidence.
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 (total) during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › (general) › (general) › Not specified
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,200 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 9.1 in the last 90 days; 3.5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Flight time: 0 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,058 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 12, 2019
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: BCT Boca Raton FL
- Destination: BCT Boca Raton FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 14 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
18 documents, released by the NTSB on February 22, 2022. 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.
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.