Piper PA-28-161 accident near Spring, Texas, May 6, 2021
On May 6, 2021 at about 10:07 pm local time, a 1977 Piper PA-28-161, registered N54MC, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Spring, Texas (David Wayne Hooks Meml airport). 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
An engine fire that resulted from a fuel leak into the carburetor air box due to the electric fuel pump over-pressurizing the carburetor needle/seat assembly. Contributing to the severity of the fire was the flight instructor’s failure to turn off the electric fuel pump before exiting the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 6, 2021 · about 10:07 pm local time
- Place
- Spring, Texas · David Wayne Hooks Meml · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161, built 1977 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N54MC · no longer on the register · serial 28-7816208
- 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 were landing the airplane during an instructional flight when they noticed a loss of engine power during landing rollout. After exiting the runway, the flight instructor was able to restart the engine on the second attempt. The pilots subsequently noticed that an engine fire had developed, shut down the engine, and exited the airplane. The fire substantially damaged the engine mount and firewall before it could be extinguished. The flight crew turned the electric fuel pump on before landing in accordance with normal operating procedure, and the flight instructor did not turn it off before exiting the airplane [as called for by the emergency procedure for an engine fire]. Postaccident examination revealed that with the electric fuel pump turned on, fuel leaked from the carburetor into the air box. The carburetor was disassembled with no anomalies observed. The fuel leaking from the carburetor was likely due to the electric fuel pump over-pressurizing the carburetor needle/seat assembly, which allowed the carburetor bowl to overfill. The leaking fuel likely came in contact with hot exhaust pipes and ignited, which resulted in the engine fire.
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
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 728 hours in all; 45 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 682 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 10, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 5 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,535 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 2021; 56 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 4,200 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Hoffman Aviation Services LLC
The flight
- Departed from: DWH Spring TX at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17R/, 7,009 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KDWH
Weather report (METAR): KDWH 062153Z 04006KT 10SM CLR 29/13 A3011 RMK AO2 SLP193 T02940133
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on June 21, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Correspondence with FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo of Engine | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Carburetor Exam | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Correspondence with the Carburetor Repair Station | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | PA-28-161 Normal Procedures, Approach and Landing | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | PA-28-161 Emergency Procedures, Engine Fire During Start | PDF, 1 page | 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.