Piper PA-44-180 accident near Wittmann, AZ
On May 13, 2004, a Piper PA-44-180 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Wittmann, AZ. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- May 13, 2004
- Place
- Wittmann, AZ
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 33.791°N, 112.483°W
- NTSB ID
- 20040522X00631
Official records · LAX04FA207
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 13, 2004, about 0700 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-44-180, N4144C, collided with terrain under unknown circumstances near Whittman, Arizona. Westwind Aviation, Inc., was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The certified flight instructor (CFI), the private pilot undergoing instruction (PUI) and one passenger sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was destroyed. The local instructional flight departed Deer Valley Airport, Phoenix, Arizona, about 0645. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The primary wreckage was at 33 degrees 47.453 minutes north latitude and 112 degrees 28.997 minutes west longitude. A National Transportation Safety Board specialist plotted recorded radar data. A target appeared just north of Phoenix Deer Valley Airport around 0645 climbing out of 4,400 feet. The track made a climbing left turn, and headed in a westerly direction. It climbed to 6,000 feet, but didn't maintain that altitude. The altitude varied (climbing and descending) about 500 feet for the next several minutes. About 20 miles west-northwest of the airport, the target began a figure-eight type of track, and then went into a descending 360-degree turn before the last radar contact. The last radar return was at 0706:53 just abeam the main wreckage area at a mode C reported altitude of 3,900 feet. The preceding target was 18 seconds earlier at a mode C altitude of 5,200 feet. A witness saw the airplane spinning as it headed toward the ground in a nose low attitude. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The oper
Probable cause
The flight instructor's failure to maintain sufficient airspeed to avoid a stall/spin while maneuvering the airplane with a dual student.
More accidents in AZ
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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.
