Piper PA-24-250 accident near Immokalee, Florida, July 16, 2000
On July 16, 2000 at about 2:47 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N980AC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Immokalee, Florida. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate supervision of the pilot rated student by the CFI for her failure to note that the fuel selector was positioned to an empty fuel tank. Also, failure of the CFI to attain the proper rate of descent at touchdown resulting in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, and inadequate preflight planning preparation by the CFI for her failure to review the airplane systems with the pilot rated student. Also, inattention by the pilot rated student for his failure to reposition the fuel selector during the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 2000 · about 2:47 pm local time
- Place
- Immokalee, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N980AC · registry record · serial 24-3359
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
At departure, the airplane had been operated for 1.8 hours since fueling. The pilot rated student (student) had not received systems ground instruction but preflighted the airplane. Fuel was noted in the right main fuel tank; he intended on inquiring about the quantity with the CFI, but didn't. The flight departed with the fuel selector positioned to the right main fuel tank and remained on that position until the engine experienced a loss of power. The CFI took the controls and stated she moved the fuel selector; the student stated he could not recall if she moved the fuel selector after the loss of power but during the flight, 'he did not touch the fuel selector at all.' The CFI stated the airplane impacted the ground at about 100 knots; the student stated that the airplane, 'came straight down for the last few feet.' Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the fuel selector was positioned to the right main fuel tank; no fuel was noted in that tank. The remaining fuel tanks were nearly full. No fuel was in the fuel line at the inlet of the engine driven fuel pump; the fuel selector and auxiliary fuel pump checked satisfactory.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 669 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 221 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 605 as pilot in command; 392 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,638 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2000; 87 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C1B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APF Naples FL at 2:11 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 13 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; scat at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from RSW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N980AC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA00LA218.