- Date
- May 21, 1983, 16:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Mesa, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N721RRyan PT-22/ST-3KR
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830521020359A
- Case key
- 23451
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The acft departed with another ryan PT-22 as a flt of two, in formation. Two rated plts were aboard the acft. After breaking formation, the acft was observed to enter a snap roll at aprx 2000 ft AGL. A witness observed the plane before it crashed. His described observing a maneuver that ended in a spin.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N721R
- Reported as
- Ryan PT-22/ST-3KR (PT-22/ST-3)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1840
- Airframe hours
- 1,779
- Engine
- Kinner R55, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James E. Orton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 10, 1983 · 14 hours before
- Airport
- P16 · Mesa
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 6,900 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 97 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PHX, 14 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N721R · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.