The following are the reports of aviation accidents/incidents that occurred in Arizona from late March through late April. APA uses this detailed information to develop safety programs, briefings, and posters/flyers that would help pilots learn from the mistakes being made by others, and take the action necessary to prevent them from having similar occurrences.
Aviation safety was not great this reporting period because at the very end of the reporting period we had two fatal accidents with two fatalities in each accident. We also had a rather large number of other accidents and incidents that didn’t result in any serious injuries. As you will note from the title of this month’s report, we will be changing the format of the report somewhat because we will be taking information from other sources, in addition to the NTSB, which only covers accidents that had involved structural damage to the aircraft. In the future we will continue, using information from the Aviation Safety Network (ASN), which has been collected from the media, and law enforcement agencies, and we will also be using information collected by the FAA regarding accidents, and aviation incidents reported to them. We will also continue using accident information reported to us by APA members. While some of the information received may be duplicated by some of the agencies, we will combine information from all these sources into a single report on each accident. I believe that by making all this information that we have received available to you, it will give you a larger, more comprehensive awareness, of what is happening out there, and hopefully make you a safer pilot, by not making the same or similar errors.
We have finally been able to make selective searches on the new NTSB website and open the preliminary reports when available, and based solely on what is available from this website; one could falsely think that all might be going rather well. I hope you find this new format more inclusive and more informative.
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED FROM THE ASN, FAA, NTSB, AND APA MEMBERS
Date: March 14, 2021
Info Source: FAA (only)
Location: Mesa
Aircraft: Piper PA28-181
Injuries: 1 Uninjured
HARD LANDING PROP STRIKE
The solo student pilot was making a landing at Falcon Field (FFZ), and made a hard landing, resulting ln a prop strike. No other damage was reported.
Accident Date: March 16, 2021
Info Source: FAA (only)
Location: Marana
Aircraft Type: Cessna 210T
Injuries: 2 Uninjured
NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE ON LANDING
The aircraft had the nose gear collapse upon landing on runway 30 at Marana Regional Airport (AVQ), and the airplane went off the runway after the collapse. The extent of damage was unreported.
Accident Date: March 18, 2021
Info. Source: NTSB
Location: Phoenix
Aircraft Type: Lancair Evolution
Injuries: 1 Uninjured
INFLIGHT LOSS OF COCKPIT DOOR
On March 18, at about 1427 MST, an experimental Lancair Evolution was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Phoenix. The pilot was not injured, and the airplane was operated as a Part 91 personal flight.
According to the pilot, he began a climb after he departed on an IFR flight plan from an airport in Mesa. As the airplane climbed through FL220, approximately 30 nm east of the pilot’s destination airport, the cabin door departed the airplane and impacted the horizontal and vertical stabilizer. The airplane landed safely in Buckeye, Arizona. Photographs of the airplane taken by the accident pilot showed substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer. The cabin door has not been recovered.
Accident Date: March 26, 2021
Info. Source: ASN, NTSB
Location: Marana
Aircraft Type: Cessna 150L
Injuries: 1 Uninjured
HARD LANDING
The aircraft made a hard landing at Marana Regional Airport (AVQ), resulting in substantial damage. The student pilot, and sole occupant, was uninjured. The operation was a Part 91 general aviation instructional flight.
Accident Date: March 27, 2021
Info. Source: ASN, FAA
Location: Phoenix (GYR)
Aircraft Type: Cessna 172M
Injuries: 1 Uninjured
BIRD STRIKE
The aircraft struck a bird, resulting in a dent in the leading edge of the wing at the root. The phase of the flight when struck is unknown, and the extent of damage was unreported.
Accident Date: March 28, 2021
Info. Source: ASN, NTSB, APA Member
Location: Avra Valley
Aircraft Type: Cirrus SR22 GTS
Injuries: 2 Uninjured
FORCED LANDING ON DESERT ROAD - INFLIGHT ENGINE FAILURE
This accident was mentioned last reporting period with minimal information. The following is a more in-depth report.
On March 28, 2021, about 1428 PDT, a Cirrus SR-22 was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Marana. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot reported that while enroute to the destination airport, the airplane experienced heavy vibrations and moments later a complete loss of engine power. He attempted to maneuverer to a nearby airport, but determined that he did not have adequate attitude. He attempted to deploy the airplane's parachute, to no avail. He then selected a dirt road and made an off-airport landing on Pump Station Road in the Avra Valley area. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing impacted the ground. According to the pilot, oil was seen streaking down both sides of the cowling.
Accident Date: March 30, 2021
Info. Source: ASN, FAA
Location: Marana
Aircraft Type: Sonex
Injuries: 2 Uninjured
LOSS OF CONTROL LANDING
The aircraft sustained minor damage subsequent to a loss of directional control landing, and subsequent runway excursion that collapsed the landing gear during the landing at Marana (AVQ). The two occupants onboard the aircraft were not injured during the incident.
Accident Date: March 31, 2021
Info. Source: ASN, FAA
Location: Phoenix
Aircraft Type: Piper PA 44-180 Seminole
Injuries: 2 Uninjured
NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE ON LANDING
The aircraft experienced a collapse of the nose gear subsequent to landing at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA). The airplane sustained minor damage and the two pilots onboard were not injured during the incident. The departure and destination was IWA.
Accident Date: April 4, 2021
Info. Source: FAA (Only)
Location: Show Low
Type: Skyraider (Experimental)
Injuries: 1 Uninjured
HARD AND LOSS OF CONTROL LANDING
The aircraft made a hard landing that collapsed the right landing gear resulting in a runway excursion with other minor damage.
Accident Date: April 6, 2021
Info. Source: FAA (Only)
Location: Phoenix
Type: Cessna 172/172
Injuries: 2 Uninjured
TAXI COLLISION
During taxi operations, the wing tip of one C172 struck the rudder of another C172. The extent of damage was unreported. Both aircraft were from the same school.
Accident Date: April 10, 2021
Info. Source: FAA (Only)
Location: Tucson
Type: Piper PA 28-160
Injuries: 2 Uninjured
OFF AIRPORT LANDING
The Piper PA28-160 was inbound to Ryan Field (RYN) from the west-northwest, and had to make an off airport forced landing for unreported reasons. The pilot also reported there were no injuries or aircraft damage.
Accident Date: April 15, 2021
Info. Source: ASN, NTSB
Location: Cottonwood
Aircraft Type: Piper PA22-160 Pacer
Injuries: 1 Minor
HARD LANDING
The aircraft sustained substantial wing damage subsequent to a hard landing at Cottonwood Airport (P52). The sole pilot onboard received unspecified but apparent minor injuries.
The aircraft is a tailwheel conversion of a Piper PA-22-160 Tri-Pacer, and retained the former model number PA-22-160.
Accident Date: April 18, 2021
Info. Source: ASN, NTSB
Location: Williams
Aircraft Type: Cessna 140
Injuries: 2 Fatal
CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN
The missing aircraft was located Monday, April 19 around 1340 in wooded terrain near H. A. Clark Memorial Field (CMR/KCMR), Williams.
The two people onboard were fatally injured.
Accident Date: April 23, 2021
Info. Source: ASN
Location: Winslow
Aircraft Type: Swearingen SA226
Injuries: 2 Fatal
CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN
A Swearingen SA226-T(B) Merlin IIIB was destroyed when it impacted the terrain under unknown circumstances near Winslow. It departed from SDL at 2:12 pm & crashed at 3:19 pm MST.
The two people onboard were fatally injured.
Accident Date: April 23, 2021
Info. Source: ASN
Location: Show Low
Aircraft Type: Stoddard Hamilton Glasair II RG
Injuries: 1 Uninjured
NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE ON LANDING
The aircraft, an experimental J H Sipprelle amateur-built Stoddard Hamilton Glasair II RG, departed the Chino, CA Airport (CNO), and sustained minor damage subsequent to the nose gear collapse during landing at Show Low Airport (SOW). The sole pilot onboard the airplane was not injured during the incident.
Accident Date: April 24, 2021
Info. Source: APA Members
Location: Marana
Aircraft Type: Cessna 182
Injuries: UNK
OFF AIRPORT LANDING IN DESERT TERRAIN
The airplane encountered an inflight loss of power, or ran out of fuel, and landed short of the runway at Marana airport in desert terrain. Aircraft damage and number of occupants are unknown at this time.
Accident Date: April 25, 2021
Info. Source: ASN
Location: Sedona
Aircraft Type: Cessna 182J
Injuries: 1 Uninjured, 2 Minor injuries
LOSS OF CONTROL LANDING
The aircraft experienced a loss of directional control and subsequent runway excursion upon landing at Sedona Airport (SEZ). The airplane clipped a stationary aircraft (Cessna 182S Skylane) and a stationary airport vehicle (Fuel Truck) before coming to rest inverted, sustaining substantial damage.
Two occupants onboard the aircraft received minor injuries, and one occupant was uninjured.