Piper PA-23-250 accident near Flagstaff, AZ
On January 8, 2003, a Piper PA-23-250 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Flagstaff, AZ. 4 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 8, 2003
- Place
- Flagstaff, AZ
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 4 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.306°N, 111.618°W
- NTSB ID
- 20030117X00080
Official records · LAX03FA069
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On January 8, 2003, about 1220 mountain standard time, Albuquerque (ABQ) Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) lost radar and radio contact with a Piper PA-23-250, N135LA, near Flagstaff (FLG), Arizona, and the airplane subsequently collided with mountainous terrain about 10 miles north of Flagstaff. The Cowboy Church of the American West was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private/instrument rated pilot, private rated pilot passenger, and two passengers all received fatal injuries. The personal cross-country flight originated at Boulder City (61B), Nevada, at 1000 Pacific standard time (PST), en route to Midland, Texas. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at Flagstaff (FLG), and visual flight following was requested at the time of departure. No flight plan was filed. While en route to Flagstaff, at 11,500 feet mean sea level (msl), and receiving visual flight advisories, the pilot established radio contact with Albuquerque Center sector 45 controller and advised he was unable to maintain visual flight due to rain and ice. He requested an IFR (instrument flight rules) clearance. Review of the recorded air-ground communications tapes disclosed that his transmission was scratchy and of poor quality. The controller advised the pilot of rime ice reports at 13,000 feet on his course. The pilot reported his altitude to be 12,000 feet and said he was accumulating some ice. The controller asked if he intended to descend into Flagstaff; the pilot stated that he had planned too. The controller issued the FLG altimeter
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to comply with his instrument clearance route instruction and to maintain his assigned altitude. A factor in the accident was the poor quality of radio communications due to the severance of underground fiber optic voice and data lines for the ARTCC, which also affected inter and intra facility landline communications.
More accidents in AZ
- De Havilland DHC-6-300, Sep 27, 1989
- Cessna 402C, Jun 19, 1992
- Piper PA-31-350, Aug 17, 1983
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- 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.
