Piper PA-24-180 accident near Humboldt, Tennessee, May 29, 2020
On May 29, 2020 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1960 Piper PA-24-180, registered N6989P, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Humboldt, Tennessee (Humboldt Muni airport). 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 partial loss of engine power due to contaminated fuel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 2020 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Humboldt, Tennessee · Humboldt Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-180, built 1960 · all PA-24-180s on the register
- Registration
- N6989P · no longer on the register · serial 24-2132
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
New avionics had just been installed in the airplane after a 5 week wait, and the purpose of the accident flight was for the pilot to test fly the airplane with the installing mechanic. The pilot performed an uneventful preflight inspection of the airplane and after liftoff there was a reduction in engine rpm before the engine lost power completely. The pilot preformed a forced landing to a golf course, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. No mechanical anomalies were discovered during a postaccident examination of the engine that would have precluded normal operation; however, a fuel sample from the carburetor bowl displayed a cloudy (green/yellow) tint instead of the expected clear, blue coloring of aviation fuel. No other contamination was observed within the airplane’s fuel system and the source of the contamination could not be identified. Given this information, it is likely that the engine lost power due to contaminated fuel that migrated through the fuel system into the carburetor.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during initial climb
- Fuel contamination during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,593 hours in all; 667 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 1,474 as pilot in command; 595 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 3, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,533.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 11, 2019; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M53 Humboldt TN at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from MKL, 12 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
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 6, 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Engine Examination | PDF, 3 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.