Piper PA-28-180 accident near Hot Springs, Arkansas, May 15, 2024
On May 15, 2024 at about 7:50 pm local time, a 1968 Piper PA-28-180, registered N6571J, was destroyed in an accident during approach near Hot Springs, Arkansas (Memorial Field Airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot’s selection of an improper fuel tank selector position, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the instructor’s inadequate oversight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 2024 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Hot Springs, Arkansas · Memorial Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180, built 1968 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N6571J · registry record · serial 28-5024
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instructional flight was returning to the departure airport for landing when the student pilot changed the fuel tank selector position in preparation for landing. While flying the approach, the flight instructor told the student pilot to add engine power; however, the engine exhibited a total loss of engine power. The flight instructor took over the flight controls, and the airplane impacted a vacant area in a residential neighborhood. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and postcrash fire. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel selector valve did not intersect the valve body port positions. With the fuel selector valve between port positions, fuel cannot flow downstream to the engine. There were no other preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Fuel starvation during approach defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Not specified
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel selector/shutoff valve › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 698 hours in all
- Last flight review: November 7, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 18 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,859.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 20, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Lord Aviation
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 6,595 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from HOT, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on February 20, 2025. 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, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Records of Conversation | PDF, 17 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Examination | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record A�� Fuel Selector Position Examination | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Maintenance Records - Airframe | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Maintenance Records - Engine Logbook | PDF, 9 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.