Piper PA28 accident near Vero Beach, Florida, February 8, 2019
On February 8, 2019 at about 10:06 pm local time, a 1988 Piper PA28, registered N9219J, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Vero Beach, Florida (Vero Beach Rgnl airport). It was a personal 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
The pilot's failure to use carburetor heat while operating the airplane in weather conditions and at engine power settings conducive to the formation of carburetor ice, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to carburetor icing and the subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 8, 2019 · about 10:06 pm local time
- Place
- Vero Beach, Florida · Vero Beach Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 161, built 1988 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N9219J · no longer on the register · serial 2841028
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying in the airport traffic pattern practicing touch-and-go landing maneuvers. On his third approach, the air traffic controller directed him to extend the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. On final approach, the engine rpm dropped, and the pilot felt the airplane "sinking." The pilot did not perform any checklists but advised air traffic control that he would be making an emergency landing and advanced the throttle lever. The engine momentarily produced more power but then lost total power when the airplane was about 500-600 ft above ground level; the propeller windmilled. The pilot did not attempt to perform any other remedial actions, such as applying carburetor heat, to restore power and executed a forced landing on a nearby gravel road. During the landing, the airplane impacted a utility pole and trees and sustained substantial damage to the wings and stabilator. Postaccident examination of the engine, which included a successful engine test run, revealed no evidence of any preimpact malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing at descent engine power settings. Because postaccident examination of the engine revealed no anomalies, it is likely that the loss of engine power was a result of carburetor ice accumulation. When asked, the pilot stated that carburetor heat was only appropriate for simulated engine-out procedures. However, according to the pilot's operating handbook for the airplane make/model, carburetor heat should be used, if required, during a normal descent. The pilot failed to properly assess that conditions were conducive to carburetor icing and apply carburetor heat before the reduction in engine 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
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 128 hours in all; 128 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 62 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 19, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,682.5 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, February 7, 2019; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 9,211 hours total
- Operator: Flightsafety International
The flight
- Departed from: VRB Vero Beach FL at 9:30 pm
- Destination: VRB Vero Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from VRB, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on April 11, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Interviews and Statement | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum of Record Pilot Interview Correction | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Meteorology Specialist Report | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Airframe and Engine Examination Notes | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 9 | PA28 Pilot Operating Handbook Excerpts | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 2 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.