Piper PA28 accident near Vero Beach, Florida, December 2, 2019
On December 2, 2019 at about 5:40 pm local time, a 2000 Piper PA28, registered N558PU, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern downwind) near Vero Beach, Florida (Vero Beach Regional airport). It was an instructional 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 improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 2, 2019 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Vero Beach, Florida · Vero Beach Regional · 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 2000 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N558PU · no longer on the register · serial 2842095
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the cross-country flight, the pilot completed the first leg using the left fuel tank only. While in the traffic pattern at his destination airport, the engine lost all power. The pilot performed a forced landing in a field and the airplane was substantially damaged after colliding with a tree. An examination of the wreckage revealed that the left fuel tank was empty and undamaged; the fuel selector handle was on the left tank. The right tank was full. Thus, it is likely that the engine was starved of fuel when the fuel supply in the left wing tank was exhausted.
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 (VFR pattern downwind) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 140 hours in all; 140 in this make and model; 86 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 53 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 15, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,751 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 13, 2019; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,440 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 3,614 hours total
- Operator: Flightsafety International Inc
The flight
- Departed from: X14 La Belle FL at 4:30 pm
- Destination: VRB Vero Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30L, 7,314 ft by 106 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 18 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KVRB, 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
4 documents, released by the NTSB on May 19, 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 | Pilot's Written Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | NTSB Memorandum of Record - Conversation with FAA Inspector | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 5 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.