- Date
- May 31, 1991, 18:40 local (Jun 1, 1991, 01:40 UTC)
- Place
- Maricopa, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1237PPiper PA-23
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910531018439A
- Case key
- 27003
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
The pilot's poor judgement in the operation of the airplane with known deficiencies and the inadvertent stall during a forced landing. The pilot/owners lack of maintenance on the airplane and the pilot's impairment by alcohol were factors in the accident.
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 certificated private pilot and a passenger departed in a twin engine airplane on a local flight and were reported overdue. Witnesses indicated that the left engine was not producing full power. The airplane was located the following day about 22 miles from the departure airport. Both occupants were fatally injured. The investigation revealed that the airplane was unairworthy. The left engine primer was not locked and automotive gasoline was utilized in the airplane. The pilot intentionally secured the engines and feathered the propellers. The airplane struck the ground with little forward speed, at a high vertical descent rate, in a nose down and near wings level attitude. The pilot did not possess a current medical certificate or a multiengine rating. The pilot's recency of experience could not be determined. Toxicological testing revealed that the pilot and passenger had alcohol present in their blood.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1237P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 23-258
- Airframe hours
- 4,526
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert Tichy
- Registered owner
- Robert Tichy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 7, 1989 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- GEU · Glendale, AZ
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GEU, 22 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.