Piper PA-28-151 accident near Marana, AZ
On October 15, 2012, a Piper PA-28-151 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Marana, AZ. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- October 15, 2012
- Place
- Marana, AZ
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-151 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 32.324°N, 111.454°W
- NTSB ID
- 20121015X22823
Official records · WPR13FA010
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn October 14, 2012, at 1908 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-28-151, N151SV, collided with desert terrain near Marana, Arizona. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The private pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was substantially damaged. The personal cross-country flight departed from Benson Municipal Airport, Benson, Arizona, about 1835, with a planned destination of Imperial County Airport, Imperial, California. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed along the intended route of flight, and the pilot was receiving visual flight rules (VFR) flight following services; he had not filed a flight plan. Earlier in the day, the pilot had flown with his spouse from his home base airport in Imperial. The first leg of the flight was to Benson, where the pilot would typically refuel the airplane, and then they continued to their destination of Las Cruces International Airport, Las Cruces, New Mexico. The pilot's spouse stayed in Las Cruces and he departed for Benson about an hour thereafter with the ultimate destination being Imperial. Recorded radar data and Air Traffic Control (ATC) recordings were obtained and reviewed by a National Transportation Safety Board investigator. Recorded radar data covering the area of the accident was examined for the time frame, and a discreet secondary beacon code target was observed that matched the anticipated flight track of the airplane en route from Benson to Imperial. The radar data consisted of about 30
Probable cause
The pilot’s flight in dark night conditions with no visual reference and his subsequent spatial disorientation.
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.
