# Accident 20110225002359A: Piper PA-28-181, Cave Creek, AZ, February 25, 2011 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: February 25, 2011, 20:04 local time - Place: Cave Creek, AZ - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141) - Location: 33.9028° N, 111.8772° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.9028&lon=-111.8772&mi=10 - Aircraft: N910PA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N910PA-2012-03-15) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28-181 (registry code 7102807, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-181 - Reported engine: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 3 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor - Pilot flight hours: 894 total, 476 in this make and model, 195 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR11FA145](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11FA145) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110225002359A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON FEBRUARY 25, 2011 AT APPROXIMATELY 1907 MST AIRCRAFT N910PA, OPERATED BY TRANSPAC AVIATION ACADEMY, DEPARTED DVT AIRPORT WITH A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND TWO STUDENTS ONBOARD. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO INSTRUCT INITIAL INSTRUMENT MANEUVERS. THE LAST KNOWN RADIO CONTACT WITH N910PA WAS WITH DVT TOWER APPROVING N910PA DEPARTURE TO THE NORTHEAST. LATER THAT EVENING AN ALNOT WAS ISSUED WHEN TRANSPAC PERSONNEL REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT OVERDUE TO RETURN. THE MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT (MCSD) AIR UNIT LOCATED THE WRECKAGE OF N910PA THE NEXT MORNING ON A MOUNTAIN APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES NORTH OF CAVE CREEK, AZ AND THE FAA WAS CONTACTED. THE MAIN WRECKAGE LOCATION WAS 33° 54.274 N LATITUDE AND 111° 52.648 W LONGITUDE. AT 0800 MST FAA REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER CONTACTED INSPECTOR CRAIG ROBERTS WITH THE SCOTTSDALE FSDO AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FROM THE NTSB TO COORDINATE THE RESPONSE. A COMMAND CENTER AND STAGING AREA WAS SET UP BY THE MCSD AT THE BRONCO TRAILHEAD APPROXIMATELY 3.6 MILES FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE. INSPECTOR ROBERTS, MCSO CSI AND RECOVER TEAM WERE AIRLIFTED BY HELICOPTER TO THE SITE. INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCIDENT SCENE REVEALED THAT THE INITIAL POINT OF IMPACT WAS LOCATED AT 33° 54.137 N LATITUDE AND 111° 52.716 W LONGITUDE ON A GRANITE FORMATION PROTRUDING ABOVE THE MOUNTAINSIDE. THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE ROCK FORMATION AT AN ELEVATION OF 4520'. THE LEFT WING DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT IN THREE PIECES WHILE THE REMAINDER OF THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED IN A NNE DIRECTION OVER A RIDGE AND IMPACTING THE GROUND IN AN INVERTED CONFIGURATION 250 YARDS FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN CONTINUED FOR APPROXIMATELY 52 YARDS WITH THE ENGINE/PROPELLER, EMPENNAGE, AND FUSELAGE BEFORE COMING TO REST. DURING THIS TIME, THE RIGHT WING DEPARTED THE FUSELAGE COMING TO REST APPROXIMATELY 25' FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. A POST ACCIDENT FIRE ENSUED CONSUMING THE FUSELAGE, ENGINE, MOST OF THE EMPENNAGE, AND THE THREE OCCUPANTS. GPS COORDINATES AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE ACCIDENT SCENE WERE TAKEN. PERMISSION WAS RECEIVED FROM THE NTSB IIC TO REMOVE THE REMAINS OF THE OCCUPANTS.ON FEBRUARY 27, 2011 THE NTSB IIC, FAA IIC, AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM PIPER AIRCRAFT AND LYCOMING ENGINES WERE AIRLIFTED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE. FOLLOWING DOCUMENTATION OF THE WRECKAGE SITE, THE WRECKAGE WAS RELEASED FOR REMOVAL TO THE AIR TRANSPORT FACILITY IN PHOENIX FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION.ON FEBRUARY 28, 2011 THE NTSB IIC, FAA IIC, AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM PIPER AIRCRAFT AND LYCOMING ENGINES CONTINUED THE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION AT THE AIR TRANSPORT FACILITY IN PHOENIX. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST A MECHANICAL FAILURE OF THE AIRFRAME AND ALL FLIGHT CONTROL COMPONENTS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR AND DETERMINED TO BE CONNECTED AND OPERATIONAL PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE ENGINE EXHIBITED CONSIDERABLE FIRE DAMAGE, BUT THE INVESTIGATORS WERE STILL ABLE TO ROTATE THE CRANKSHAFT. THE SPARK PLUGS WERE REMOVED AND REVEALED NORMAL WEAR AND COLORATION. THE VALVE TRAIN OPERATED NORMALLY AND THE CYLINDERS PRODUCED "THUMB" COMPRESSION. THE MAGNETO DRIVE GEARS IN THE GEARBOX AREA ROTATED WHEN THE CRANKSHAFT WAS TURNED. THE OIL SCREEN AND CARBURETOR INLET SCREEN WERE BOTH CLEAN AND FREE OF ANY DEBRIS. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION IS AS FOLLOWS:REGISTRATION NUMBER N910PA,PIPER AIRCRAFT MODEL PA-28-181, SERIAL NUMBER 2843300AIRCRAFT TOTAL TIME = 13672.6 HRS.ENGINE TSN = 8510.6 HRS, TSO = 238.7 HRS.PROPELLER TSN = 238.7 HRS.TIME SINCE LAST INSPECTION = 26.3 HRS.A REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS FOR N910PA SHOWED THAT THE ALTIMETER AND TRANSPONDER CHECKS REQUIRED UNDER SECTION 91.411 AND 91.413 WERE ACCOMPLISHED AUGUST 3, 2010.RADAR DATA RELEASED BY THE PHOENIX TRACON SHOWS N910PA LEAVING THE DEER VALLEY AIRPORT (DVT) AND PROCEED TOWARD THE CAREFREE SKY RANCH AIRPORT (18AZ), PASSING OVER AT 5000' AT 1943 MST. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED NNE FOLLOWING VICTOR 327 AIRWAY CLIMBING TO 6100'. AT 1951 MST, N910PA TURNED BACK TO FOLLOW VICTO ## 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 WPR11FA145](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11FA145), Feb 26, 2011: Piper PA-28-181 (N910PA), Phoenix, AZ, substantial damage, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot and flight instructor's failure to adequately monitor the flight task and environment while maneuvering to maintain sufficient altitude with rising terrain in dark night conditions and the… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.