Cirrus SR20 accident near Orange, Texas, September 14, 2019
On September 14, 2019 at about 9:20 pm local time, a 2003 Cirrus SR20, registered N200Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Orange, Texas. It was a personal 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
A total loss of engine power due to a fatigue failure of the fuel line from the fuel manifold to the No. 1 cylinder.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 14, 2019 · about 9:20 pm local time · cases in 2019
- Place
- Orange, Texas · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus SR20 No Series, built 2003 · all SR20s on the register
- Registration
- N200Z · no longer on the register · serial 1365
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight, the airplane’s engine lost total power. The pilot deployed the airframe parachute and the airplane descended under canopy to a marsh, resulting in substantial damage. Examination of the engine found that a fuel line from the fuel manifold to the No. 1 cylinder failed in fatigue near the manifold, resulting in the loss of engine power. The failed fuel line was replaced postaccident and the engine was test run with no anomalies noted. Although the fuel manifold bracket was replaced twice in the approximate 2.5 years before the accident, the extent to which this may have been related to the failure of the fuel line was not determined.
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 enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel divider › Fatigue/wear/corrosion other cases naming the engine
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 750 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,730 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2019; 35 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-ES-6 (piston); 1,730 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Austin TX
- Destination: LCH Lake Charles LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 9:15 pm from KORG, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – Airplane Overview (Photo from Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office)
Photo 2 – Broken Fuel Line (Continental Motors 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
5 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.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Case Findings | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | Continental Metallurgical Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Party Form | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Airplane Information | PDF, 12 pages | 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
- N200Z: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cirrus SR20 1,633 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Continental IO-360-ES-6 1,854 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Lake Charles Regional · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,062 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,976 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN19LA331.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.