# Accident 19890907033979A: Piper PA32260, Lake Havasu Cit, AZ, September 7, 1989

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 7, 1989, 10:10 local time
- Place: Lake Havasu Cit, AZ
- Airport: Lake Havasu City
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Unauth Low Level Opns
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.7800° N, 114.5892° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.7800&lon=-114.5892&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3999W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3999W-2013-09-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32-260 (registry code 7103206, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-260) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32260
- Reported engine: LYC O540E4B5
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN89FA209](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN89FA209) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890907033979A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

TIGHT, LOW ALTITUDE TURNS OVER FRIENDS BOAT AT LOW SPEED RESULTED IN STALL AND IMPACT WITH LAKE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB DEN89FA209](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN89FA209), Sep 7, 1989: Piper PA-32-260 (N3999W), Lk Havasu City, CA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: PILOT'S ATTENTION DIVERTED OUTSIDE THE AIRPLANE. THIS DIVERSION RESULTED IN THE PILOT FAILING TO MONITOR HIS ALTITUDE WHILE IN A DESCENDING TURN AND INADVERTENTLY FLYING THE AIRPLANE INTO THE WATER.

## Other reports on N3999W (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19780310014709I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19780310014709I), Mar 10, 1978: Piper PA32260 (N3999W), St Louis, MO, Minor damage. Pilot allowed aircraft to drift into snowbank after liftoff. The damaged main collapsed after touchdown.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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