- Date
- July 11, 1990, 09:25 local (16:25 UTC)
- Place
- Pleasant Valley, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6763ZPiper PA-25-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900711025339A
- Case key
- 26644
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
An inadvertent spin after failure to maintain airspeed. Factors include inadequate preflight, and an improperly maintained lap belt.
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 pilot observed that the tow plane was dirty so he washed it. The pilot failed to secure the two engine cowl doors. During initial climb, with a glider in tow, the doors began flopping up and down. The glider pilot observed the mishap, released the tow line and safely landed. The tow plane pilot reversed course to return for landing. The witnesses reported that while reversing course the airplane's pitch attitude steepened. The airplane stalled and spun until crashing on desert terrain adjacent to the airstrip.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6763Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-2384
- Airframe hours
- 5,044
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B2B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Turf Soaring School
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 19, 1990 · 72 hours before
- Airport
- AZ05 · Pleasant Valley, runway 23L, 4,000 × 120 ft, dirt
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
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 1,550 total · 800 in this make and model · 1,400 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 70 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 100 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.