Piper PA28 accident near Maitland, Florida, May 16, 2019
On May 16, 2019 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 1965 Piper PA28, registered N6753W, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Maitland, Florida. 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 improper fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, the total loss of engine power, and subsequent impact with a car during an emergency landing on a road.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 2019 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Maitland, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 140, built 1965 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N6753W · no longer on the register · serial 28-20877
- 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, during cruise flight, about 10 miles from the destination airport, the engine lost all power. He switched to the other fuel tank and successfully restarted the engine. About 6 miles from the airport, the engine lost power again. The pilot then decided to land the airplane on a highway, but just before touchdown, the airplane struck a car, spun, and then impacted the road. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that no fuel was found in either tank.
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 exhaustion during enroute
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground vehicle › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,894 hours in all; 651 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1,770 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 18, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 2,014 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,440 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KAND Anderson SC at 7:00 pm
- Destination: ORL Orlando FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,900 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KORL, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 9, 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 | Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | 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.