Accident Overview
On September 6, 2019, at approximately 1145 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28D-180 (registration N6595J) experienced a loss of engine power shortly after takeoff from Mid-Way Regional Airport (JWY) in Midlothian/Waxahachie, Texas. The aircraft was being operated as an instructional flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 by a private individual. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.
Accident Sequence
According to the pilot's report, the student pilot departed on runway 18. At about 400 feet above ground level, the engine lost power. The pilot initiated a left turn toward the closest available field and set up for landing. As the aircraft flared for landing, the engine momentarily regained power, allowing the airplane to climb approximately 100 feet. The pilot then turned left to clear a tree line and continued toward the runway on a westerly heading. The engine lost power again, and the pilot glided to the airport at a right angle to the runway. The airplane touched down in dirt and grass short of the east side of the runway. Upon touchdown, the nose gear separated, and the airplane slid across the runway before coming to a stop just outside the runway lights. The student pilot was not injured, but the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the underside of the fuselage.
Investigation Findings
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that the pilot had just purchased fuel at a nearby airport, and the fuel tanks were full. A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator examined the aircraft. The throttle and mixture controls were still attached, and the engine appeared unremarkable. Fuel drained from the carburetor bowl and gascolator was light blue and contained no debris or water. The electric boost pump operated normally. The fuel supply line to the engine was removed; when the left tank was selected, fuel flowed normally, but when the right tank (the tank selected for takeoff) was selected, only a small amount of fuel flowed.
Further examination by the FAA inspector revealed that the fuel selector valve (Piper part number 491-947) was difficult to move. When moved, it would go past the right tank detent, closing the valve to the right tank and causing a loss of fuel flow. Although the selector handle indicated the right tank had been selected, the valve was misaligned.