# Accident 20121123026489A: Piper PA-28, Yuma, AZ, November 23, 2012

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 23, 2012, 12:00 local time
- Place: Yuma, AZ
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.3381° N, 113.6636° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.3381&lon=-113.6636&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5076W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5076W-2018-01-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28 (registry code 7102801, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 250 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR13FA058](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13FA058) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20121123026489A

## Narrative

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

11/23/2012ON 11/23/2012, THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT DEPARTED TAXIWAY D FROM TUCSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WITHOUT ATC CLEARANCE. ON 11/28/2012, THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 8 AND ABOUT 15 MILES NORTH OF THE U.S./MEXICO BORDER. TWO FAA INSPECTORS ARRIVED ON SCENE AT 1700 HOURS LOCAL TIME, IN THE CABEZA PRIETA NATIONAL WILDLIFE PRESERVE AT THE COORDINATES INDICATED. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 150 YARDS OFF OF THE SMALL DIRT ROAD KNOWN AS PAPAGO ROAD. THE WRECKAGE WAS UPSIDE DOWN WITH THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT POINTING TOWARD COMPASS POINT 340. DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS A CRATER APPROXIMATELY TWO FEET WIDE AT EACH END AND FOUR FEET WIDE IN THE CENTER. THE LENGTH OF THE CRATER COINCIDED WITH THE SPAN OF THE AIRCRAFT WINGS, INDICATING THE AIRCRAFT HAD CRASHED IN A DIRECT NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE ENGINE, PROPELLER, COWLING, AND LEADING EDGES OF THE WINGS SHOWED SEVERE CRUSHING DAMAGE. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT HAD BEEN CRUSHED INTO THE FLIGHT COMPARTMENT AND THE WINGS SHOWED APPROXIMATELY 24 INCHES OF ACCORDION DAMAGE. THE NOSE CONE HAD BEEN HYDROFORMED AROUND THE PROPELLER HUB FROM IMPACT FORCES. THE PROPELLER WAS BENT BACKWARDS AND SHOWED LITTLE TO NO ROTATIONAL DAMAGE. THE CABIN OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY CRUSHING FORCES. THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CABIN SPLIT OPEN AS A RESULT OF CRUSHING FORCES. DEBRIS FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND CABIN CONTENTS WERE EJECTED OUT AS FAR AS 50 FEET AWAY. THE REAR CABIN SEATS HAD DISMOUNTED AND CRASHED INTO THE FRONT OF THE CABIN. THE EMPENNAGE SHOWED FORWARD MOMENTUM CRUSHING FORCES, BUT WAS OTHERWISE INTACT. THE WINGS REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE FUEL TANKS WERE SPLIT OPEN AND EMPTY; HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF HYDRAULIC DEFORMATION OF THE FUEL TANKS. THE FUEL CAPS WERE IN PLACE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF FUEL ON THE GROUND OR IN THE IMPACT CRATER. THE TRAILING EDGES OF THE WINGS SHOWED FORWARD MOMENTUM DAMAGE, E.G. BOWED AILERONS. THE PILOT WAS PARTIALLY EJECTED OUT OF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PARTICIPANTS ALL LEFT THE SCENE AT APPROXIMATELY 1930 MST. FAA INVESTIGATORS ARRIVED IN YUMA AT 2100 HOURS AND MET WITH THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR FOR AN OUTBRIEF. 11/29/2012FAA INVESTIGATORS ACCOMPANIED THE NTSB TO THE ACCIDENT SCENE TO COMPLETE INVESTIGATION AND SUPERVISE THE RECOVERY OF THE WRECKAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED AND SENT TO A SALVAGE YARD FOR FURTHER INSPECTION.11/30/2012NTSB AND FAA INVESTIGATORS SUPERVISED THE DISASSEMBLY AND INSPECTION OF THE WRECKAGE BY THE MANUFACTURER'S INVESTIGATORS.

## 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 WPR13FA058](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13FA058), Nov 23, 2012: Piper PA-28-160 (N5076W), Tacna, AZ, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impairment due to acute psychosis with paranoid thoughts.

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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