Piper PA-23-250 accident near Marana, AZ
On August 30, 1995, a Piper PA-23-250 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Marana, AZ. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 30, 1995
- Place
- Marana, AZ
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 32.449°N, 111.290°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001207X04307
NTSB summary
On August 30, 1995, at 0553 hours mountain standard time, a Piper PA-23-250, N7156T, collided with a tree, wires, and a privately owned residence about 2.5 miles northwest of Avra Valley Airport, Marana, Arizona. The pilot was beginning a visual flight rules (VFR) flight to an undetermined destination and was returning to the airport after sustaining a loss of power on the right side engine. The airplane, owned and operated by the pilot, was destroyed by impact forces and the postimpact fire. The certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, received severe burn injuries and died on September 14, 1995. The on-scene postcrash investigation was conducted by two airworthiness inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Scottsdale [Arizona] Flight Standards District Office. An inspector reported that witnesses stated the engine lost power shortly after departing the airport. The witnesses also said that while returning to the airport, several duffle bags were "thrown out" of the airplane before it struck the tree. Examination of the recovered duffle bags revealed a substantial quantity of marijuana. The inspectors found some airplane maintenance logbooks at the accident site. Examination of the logbooks revealed that there were no maintenance entries made after the airplane was imported to the United States in 1990. Further investigation and search for current logbooks were unsuccessful. A witness told a National Transportation Safety Board investigator that he often saw the pilot doing maintenance on various aircraft. An FAA inspector stated that other witne
Probable cause
the pilot's poor installation of the propeller which allowed the propeller to become loose, and the pilot's improper emergency procedure by feathering the wrong propeller.
More accidents in AZ
- De Havilland DHC-6-300, Sep 27, 1989
- Cessna 402C, Jun 19, 1992
- Piper PA-31-350, Aug 17, 1983
- Piper PA-31-350, Feb 13, 1995
- Cessna 421C, Sep 2, 1995
Browse: Arizona · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
