by Jim Timm
The following are the reports of aviation accidents and incidents that have occurred in Arizona from mid-February through mid-March. We hope to use the following detailed accident/incident information to develop safety programs, briefings, and posters/flyers that would help pilots learn from the mistakes being made by others and be able to take the necessary action to prevent them from having similar occurrences.
The Accident/Incident report is a bit shorter than last time, and the number of FAA reported incidents comprises about half of the report. You may note that there are a couple of incidents reported that were late in getting into the FAA after they had started their report. Even with these two tardy incidents included, this report is still relatively short.
In continuing with the expanded scope of the report, we’re using information from the Aviation Safety Network (ASN), FAA, NTSB, and APA Members. This more inclusive information source should suit our purpose of trying to get an idea of what is happening out there so we can help make flying safer.
In the meantime, here are the results from the above sources.
Date: February 9, 2025
Source: FAA Incident
Location: Glendale (GEU)
Type: Mooney M-20F
Injuries: 2 Uninjured
Private Pilot
LANDING GEAR COLLAPSE
The left main gear collapsed as the airplane was taxing out for takeoff. The damage was minor.
Date: February 13, 2025
Source: FAA Incident
Location: Marana (AVQ)
Type: Cirrus SR20
Injuries: 2 Uninjured
Comm/CFI Pilot
FLIGHT CONTROL DISCONNECTED
While in the pattern at Marana the left hand control became disconnected from the ailerons. The control on the right side remained connected, and the aircraft was able to return to Mesa Falcon Field (FFZ) without further incident.
Date: February 14, 2025
Source: FAA Incident
Location: Tucson Ryan Field (RYN)
Type: Bakeng Duce (Experimental)
Injuries: 1 Uninjured
Comm/CFI Pilot
ENGINE FAILURE
The aircraft departed and immediately declared an emergency because of an engine failure. He landed on a taxiway without further incident.
Date: February 16, 2025
Source: FAA Incident
Location: Eloy (E60)
Type: Sky Diver
Injuries: 1 Fatality
Pilot Certification Not Required
PARACHUTE FAILURE
The sky diver exited the airplane, and his parachute failed to open. There was no damage to the airplane.
Date: February 20, 2025
Source: ASN, NTSB
Location: Cottonwood (P52)
Type: Cessna 172S Skyhawk
Injuries: 2 Uninjured
Pilot Certification Unknown
AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT
The aircraft departed Prescott and was reported to have been involved in an accident at Cottonwood, and the damage was reported to be substantial. No accident details were available.
Date: February 25, 2025
Source: FAA Incident
Location: Gila Bend
Type: Cessna 172
Injuries: 1 Uninjured
Private Pilot
LOSS OF CONTROL LANDING
The pilot reported blowing out a tire on landing and ran off the runway. There was no reported damage to the airplane or airport property.
Date: February 27, 2025
Source: FAA Incident
Location: Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA)
Type: Cessna 170
Injuries:1 Uninjured
ATP/CFI Pilot
TAXIED OFF PAVED SURFACE
The pilot landed and taxied off the paved surface and into the mud. There was no damage to the aircraft or airport property.
Date: March 1, 2025
Source: FAA Incident
Location: Tucson International Airport (TUS)
Type: Mooney M-20J
Injuries: 1 Uninjured
Private Pilot
LOSS OF CONTROL LANDING
Upon landing the airplane went off the runway and into the dirt, possibly due to a flat tire. There was no damage to the aircraft or airport property.
Date: March 19, 2025
Source: ASN
Location: Near Winslow
Type: Piper PA-28-180
Injuries: 1 Uninjured
Pilot Certification Unknown
INFLIGHT POWER LOSS
The airplane departed Flagstaff, and near Winslow the Piper experienced a loss of engine power and a subsequent forced landing to open field terrain. The airplane sustained unknown damage, but post-incident photos show the engine and windshield covered with oil.