Piper PA28 accident near Payson, AZ
On January 24, 2020, a Piper PA28 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Payson, AZ. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 24, 2020
- Place
- Payson, AZ
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.159°N, 111.494°W
- NTSB ID
- 20200124X92932
Official records · WPR20FA079
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn January 24, 2020, about 0911 mountain standard time, a Piper PA28-140, airplane, N3672K, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Payson, Arizona. One of the two passengers was fatally injured, and the pilot and other passenger were seriously injured. The airplane was operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot stated in an interview that after a flight earlier that morning from Falcon Field Airport (FFZ), Mesa, Arizona, he landed in PAN, refueled, and departed for the return flight back to FFZ. During the return flight, the pilot decided to fly over the mountains southwest of their position. He stated that he flew about 1,000 ft above ground level (agl) over the mountains, while the passengers were spotting wildlife on the terrain below. The pilot stated the airplane was running well and that he didn’t remember anything else about the flight until 5 hours later, when he woke up injured, laying in a small creek at the accident site. Radar flight track data showed the airplane depart PAN and fly to the Mazatzal Mountain Range. While maintaining an altitude of about 1,000 ft agl above the mountainous terrain, the airplane made a 280° turning maneuver, then descended over and into a canyon with rising terrain. (see Figure 1). About a half mile from the accident site, the flight track showed the airplane turn left and the turn radius increased before the track data stopped. The airplane’s groundspeed through the canyon decreased from 88 to 65 knots and the airplane’s altitude above the grou
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to fly into a canyon with rising terrain, and his subsequent loss of aircraft control while maneuvering away from rising terrain.
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.
