What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 13, 2025, about 1342 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-32-260, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Green Valley, Arizona. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot reported that, while climbing through 6,300 ft (MSL), about 20 miles north of nogales, Arizona, the engine began to sputter so he switched fuel tanks. The pilot turned on the electric fuel pump and switched fuel tanks. The engine sputtering progressively got worse, and the engine power degraded. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot elected to make an off-airport landing on a dirt road. During the landing roll, the airplane encountered a cross wind gust and became airborne. The airplane’s left wing and main landing gear impacted a dirt berm, which collapsed the nose gear, damaged the left wing leading edge, and removed the left main landing gear. Aircraft was dismantled and transported to a storage facility where it was examined on may 13, 2025.
The outboard fuel tanks in both wings visually contained dirt stains indicative of not having had fuel in them in the recent past. All four fuel tanks were checked for leaks, with only the left outboard fuel tank drain fitting leaking due to ground contact damage. All four fuel tank lines were checked for continuity from the tank through the fuel selector valve to the carburetor. Fuel was drained from the carburetor filter and was blue with no evidence of water or debris.
Engine was inspected and found operational using a loaner propeller for magneto checks and full take-off power.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 13, 2025, ABOUT 1342 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-32-260, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR GREEN VALLEY, ARIZONA. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT, WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 6,300 FT (MSL), ABOUT 20 MILES NORTH OF NOGALES, ARIZONA, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER SO HE SWITCHED FUEL TANKS. THE PILOT TURNED ON THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP AND SWITCHED FUEL TANKS. THE ENGINE SPUTTERING PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE, AND THE ENGINE POWER DEGRADED. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, THE PILOT ELECTED TO MAKE AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING ON A DIRT ROAD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A CROSS WIND GUST AND BECAME AIRBORNE. THE AIRPLANE’S LEFT WING AND MAIN LANDING GEAR IMPACTED A DIRT BERM, WHICH COLLAPSED THE NOSE GEAR, DAMAGED THE LEFT WING LEADING EDGE, AND REMOVED THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR. AIRCRAFT WAS DISMANTLED AND TRANSPORTED TO A STORAGE FACILITY WHERE IT WAS EXAMINED ON MAY 13, 2025.
THE OUTBOARD FUEL TANKS IN BOTH WINGS VISUALLY CONTAINED DIRT STAINS INDICATIVE OF NOT HAVING HAD FUEL IN THEM IN THE RECENT PAST. ALL FOUR FUEL TANKS WERE CHECKED FOR LEAKS, WITH ONLY THE LEFT OUTBOARD FUEL TANK DRAIN FITTING LEAKING DUE TO GROUND CONTACT DAMAGE. ALL FOUR FUEL TANK LINES WERE CHECKED FOR CONTINUITY FROM THE TANK THROUGH THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE TO THE CARBURETOR. FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE CARBURETOR FILTER AND WAS BLUE WITH NO EVIDENCE OF WATER OR DEBRIS.
ENGINE WAS INSPECTED AND FOUND OPERATIONAL USING A LOANER PROPELLER FOR MAGNETO CHECKS AND FULL TAKE-OFF POWER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.