No fatalities

16 May 2019: Piper PA28 140 — Maitland, FL

Maitland, FL, United States

On 16 May 2019, a Piper PA28 140 was involved in an aviation accident near Maitland, FL. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: 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. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During cruise, an engine lost power twice. The pilot switched fuel tanks and restarted, then lost power again, landing on a highway and colliding with a car. No mechanical failures were reported; fuel tanks were empty.

Sequence of Events

During cruise flight, about 10 miles from the destination airport, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot switched to the other fuel tank and successfully restarted the engine. About 6 miles out, the engine had another total loss of power. The pilot then decided to land the airplane on a highway. Just before touchdown, the airplane struck a car, spun, and impacted the road.

Damage Assessment

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage.

Pilot Report

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 fuel tank.

Contributing factors

Fluid levelPilotEffect on operation