Jabiru J250-SP accident near Gulf Of Mexico, June 1, 2020
On June 1, 2020 at about 2:53 pm local time, a 2007 Jabiru J250-SP, registered N619J, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Gulf Of Mexico. 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 fuel leak that could not be identified since the wreckage was not recovered.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 2020 · about 2:53 pm local time
- Place
- Gulf Of Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Jabiru J250-SP, built 2007
- Registration
- N619J · no longer on the register · serial 457
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was conducting a cross country flight and departed the airport with slightly less than 36 gallons of fuel on board. About 1.5 hours into the flight, he noticed that the fuel tank quantities were dropping rapidly. The engine subsequently lost all power, and he set up for a ditching in the Gulf of Mexico. After ditching, the pilot and passenger were picked up by a U.S. Navy helicopter and transported to a local hospital for observation. The airplane eventually sank and was not recovered. The pilot also reported that the engine consumed about 5.5 to 6 gallons of fuel per hour and he suspected a breach of the fuel system prior to the loss of engine power. The airplane was configured with two wing tanks that gravity fed to a header tank; both tanks fed simultaneously utilizing an "On-Off" fuel selector in the cockpit.
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 related during enroute defining event
- Ditching during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Malfunction
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1,355 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 15, 2020
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 290 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 15, 2019; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jabiru 3300A (piston); 290 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CGC Crystal River FL at 12:23 pm
- Destination: EYW Key West FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from EYW, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on September 2, 2020. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | NTSB Memorandum for Record - Wreckage Coordinates and Disposition | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Jabiru Technical Manual Excerpts - Fuel System | PDF, 19 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.