20230610007769A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Compagnie Daher TB 30 EPSILON · Apache Junction, AZ · June 10, 2023

Date: June 10, 2023 · 07:52 local
Place: Apache Junction, AZ
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N759F
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR23FA223
Reported as: Compagnie Daher TB 30 Epsilon
Reported engine: Lycoming AEIO540-L1B5D
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours: 575 total

N759FRegistered now · Compagnie Daher TB 30 EPSILONS/N 133 · Built 1988 Airframe modelCompagnie Daher TB 30 EPSILON Engine modelLycoming AEIO540-L1B5DReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On June 10th, 2023, three similar aircraft (socata TB-30 epsilon) departed falcon field (ffz) in mesa, AZ for a scenic flight. The three aircraft departed ffz as a flight of three. The flight departed north bound from rwy 4 then heading north and east bound toward the lost dutchman state park. The flight then entered a trailing formation heading east along the ridgelines of the superstition mountains. As they were traversing the ridges, the second aircraft impacted the terrain approximately 18 miles east of the falcon field airport. Both occupants were fatally injured.

As the FAA filed it

ON JUNE 10TH, 2023, THREE SIMILAR AIRCRAFT (SOCATA TB-30 EPSILON) DEPARTED FALCON FIELD (FFZ) IN MESA, AZ FOR A SCENIC FLIGHT. THE THREE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FFZ AS A FLIGHT OF THREE. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED NORTH BOUND FROM RWY 4 THEN HEADING NORTH AND EAST BOUND TOWARD THE LOST DUTCHMAN STATE PARK. THE FLIGHT THEN ENTERED A TRAILING FORMATION HEADING EAST ALONG THE RIDGELINES OF THE SUPERSTITION MOUNTAINS. AS THEY WERE TRAVERSING THE RIDGES, THE SECOND AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 18 MILES EAST OF THE FALCON FIELD AIRPORT. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE FATALLY INJURED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR23FA223Accident · 2 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportApache Junction, AZThe pilot’s controlled flight into the mountainous terrain due to diminished depth perception as a result of the shadowing effect from the sun’s position. Contributing to the accident was the decision by all three pilots to fly low altitude around the…Jun 10, 2023 · Destroyed