Piper PA28R accident near Winter Haven, Florida, May 4, 2019
On May 4, 2019 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1971 Piper PA28R, registered N2134T, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (IFR initial approach) near Winter Haven, Florida (Winter Haven Rgnl airport). It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power due to worn fuel valve O-rings, which allowed air into the fuel system and resulted in a forced landing to unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 4, 2019 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Winter Haven, Florida · Winter Haven Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28R 200, built 1971 · all PA28Rs on the register
- Registration
- N2134T · registry record · serial 28R7135142
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instructional flight was in-bound to the initial approach fix to practice a simulated instrument approach when the engine began to fluctuate and sputter. The flight instructor switched fuel tanks and turned on the fuel pump to no avail. The airplane was unable to reach a nearby airport, so the flight instructor accomplished a forced landing in an open field. During the forced landing, the airplane’s left wing sustained substantial damage when the landing gear struck a rut in the field. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no pre-impact anomalies. During the first of several engine runs, the engine started uneventfully but subsequently surged and stopped. Pressure was applied to the fuel system and fuel was observed leaking out of the top two vent holes of the fuel selector. The fuel selector was subsequently bypassed, and the engine started and ran with no additional anomalies noted. The fuel selector was removed and examined. During a pressure test, when the fuel valve was positioned to the left or right tank position, a fuel leak occurred again from the vent holes. Subsequently, the fuel valve was disassembled to examine the housing, shaft, and four O-rings. No anomalies were observed to the housing or shaft. Microscopic examination revealed that two O-rings appeared to have frictional interactions with the inner surface of the housing bore, and the other two O-rings exhibited wear on the surfaces in contact with the inner surface of the housing bore. No additional anomalies were noted. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with air entering the fuel system where the fuel leaks occurred in the fuel selector valve. Air in the fuel lines would have interrupted the flow of fuel to the engine, resulting in a loss of engine power.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during approach (IFR initial approach) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during approach (IFR initial approach)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel selector/shutoff valve › Damaged/degraded
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Effect on equipment
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,500 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 90 in the last 30 days; 4,300 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 20, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Last flight review: February 16, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,635 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 24, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-C1C (piston); 1,847 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BOW Bartow FL at 2:20 pm
- Destination: BOW Bartow FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 5,006 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KGIF, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
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.
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 WPR19LA136.