Piper PA-25-235 accident near Peoria, AZ
On June 13, 2004, a Piper PA-25-235 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Peoria, AZ. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- June 13, 2004
- Place
- Peoria, AZ
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-235 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 33.801°N, 112.251°W
- NTSB ID
- 20040616X00817
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 13, 2004, at 1504 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-25-235 (Piper Pawnee) airplane, N4602Y, impacted terrain after takeoff from the Pleasant Valley Airport, Peoria, Arizona. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was substantially damaged. Turf Soaring School was operating the airplane as a glider towing flight under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed. The local flight was departing at the time of the accident. The glider pilot, who was being towed by the accident airplane, reported that they became airborne and both the tow plane and glider exhibited "typical attitudes and speeds until approximately 100 [to] 150 feet above the ground." She reported that a "small amount of slack developed in the tow rope as the [tow plane] began to out climb the glider." She adjusted the glider's pitch attitude in an attempt to match that of the tow plane. As the glider lost airspeed due to the high pitch attitude, more slack developed in the tow rope. She became concerned with the possibility of stalling and elected to release from the tow plane and recover glider speed. The glider pitched nose down and performed a 210-degree turn to the right back toward the airport. The glider landed across the runways and impacted cactus and shrub before coming to rest upright with minimal damage. A number of glider rated pilots, who witnessed the accident, reported that the tow plane took off with the glider in tow and initially appeared "normal." O
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain a proper pitch attitude during tow operations and his failure to maintain an adequate airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin.
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.
